Chapter 20 Beth

Doesn't surprise me," Nana snorted. "I wouldn't put anything past your late husband." "He's not dead, Nana." Nana sighed. "Hope springs eternal." Beth took a sip¹ of her coffee. It was Sunday, and they had just returned from church. For the first time since Nana's stroke, Nana had had a small solo in one of the musical numbers, and Beth hadn't wanted her to be distracted. She knew how much the choir² meant to her. "You're not helping³ me," Beth said. “What's to help?" "I was just saying …" Nana leaned across the table. "I know what you're saying. You've already told me, remember? And if you're asking whether I think Keith actually broke into Thibault's house, I'm simply Saying that it wouldn't surprise me. I've never liked that man." "Gee⁴, really?" There’s no reason to get fresh about it." I’m not getting fresh." Nana didn’t seem to hear her. “You look tired. Do you want more coffee? Or how about some cinnamon toast?" Beth shook her head. "I'm not hungry." "Even so, you still have to eat. It's not healthy to skip meals, and I know you've already skipped breakfast." She got up from the table. "I'm making toast." Beth knew there was no point in arguing. Once Nana made up her mind about something, there was no way to dissuade⁵ her. "What about the other part? About whether Keith had something to do with …" She trailed off. Nana shrugged⁷ as she put two pieces of bread in the toaster. "About running other men off? Nothing that man did would surprise me. And it kind of explains things, doesn't it?" "But it doesn't make sense. I can name at least half a dozen women he's gone out with, and it's not like he's even hinted that he wants to get back together. Why would he care whether or not I date?" "Because he's no better than a spoiled child," Nana declared. She put a couple of dabs⁸ of butter into a saucepan and turned on the burner. A small blue flame whooshed⁹ to life. "You were his toy, and even though he's got new toys, it doesn't mean he wants anyone to play with his old toys." Beth shifted in her seat. "I'm not sure I like that analogy." "It doesn't matter if you like it. All that matters is whether it's true." "And you think it is?" "That's not what I said. What I said was that it wouldn't surprise me. And don't tell me you're surprised, either. I've seen the way he still looks you up and down. It gives me the willies, and it's all I can do to keep from clobbering¹⁰ him with the pooper'scooper." Beth smiled, but it lasted only an instant. When the toast popped up, Nana grabbed the pieces and put them on a plate. She dribbled¹¹ melted butter over the top, then added sugar and cinnamon. She brought over the plate and set it in front of Beth. "Here. Eat something. You're skeletal these days." "I weigh the same as I always have." "Which isn't enough. It's never been enough. If you're not careful, you'll blow away in the storm." She nodded toward the window as she took her seat again. "It's going to be a big one. Which is good. We need the rain. I hope we don't have any howlers in the kennel¹²." Howlers were dogs that were afraid of storms, and they made life miserable¹³ for the other dogs. Beth recognized the conversation's shift as an opportunity to change the subject. Nana usually offered a way out, but as Beth took a bite of her toast, she realized there was something else she wanted to discuss. "I think they've met before," she finally said. "Who? Thibault and the loser?" Beth raised her hands. "Please don't call him that. I know you don't like him, but he's still Ben's father and I don't want you to get into the habit of calling him that when Ben can hear you. I bow he's not here right now …" Nana gave a rueful smile. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. I won't say it again. But what were you telling me?" "Do you remember when I told you about the night Keith brought Ben back home with the black eye? You were at your sister's…" She saw Nana nod. "Last night, I got to thinking about it. I didn't pick up on it then, but when Keith saw Logan, he didn't ask who Logan was. Instead, it was like a switch went on and he got angry right away. He said something like, 'What are you doing here?'" "So?" Nana's expression was blank. "It was the way he said it. He wasn't so much surprised that some man was at the house as much as he was surprised that Logan in particular was at the house. Like Logan was the last person he'd expected to see." "What does Thibault say?" "He hasn't said anything. But it makes sense, doesn't it? That they've crossed paths before? Since he thinks Keith broke into his house?" "Maybe," Nana said, then shook her head. "I don't know. Did Thibault say what he thought your ex might be looking for?" "No," she said, "he didn't. Other than to say that there wasn't much to find." "Which is a way of answering the question without really answering it." "Mmm," Beth agreed. She took another bite of toast, thinking there was no way she could finish all of it. Nana leaned forward. "And that worries you, too?" "A little," Beth said, giving a small nod. "Because you feel like he's keeping something from you?" When Beth didn't answer, Nana reached across the table and took her hand. "I think you're worrying about the wrong things here. Maybe your ex broke into Thibault's house, and maybe he didn't. Maybe they have come across each other before, or maybe not. But neither of those things is as important as whether or not your ex has been working behind the scenes against you. If I were you, that's what I'd be concerned about because that's the part that mainly affects you." She paused, letting her words sink in. "I say that because I've seen you and Thibault together, and it's obvious how much he cares for you. And I think the reason he told you his suspicions was because he doesn't want the same thing to happen to him that's happened to the other men you've dated." "So you think Logan is right?" "Yes," Nana said. "Don't you?" It took a long time for Beth to respond. "I think so, too." It was one thing to think it; it was another thing to be sure. After their conversation, Beth changed into her jeans, threw on her raincoat, and drove into town. The rain had started in earnest a couple of hours earlier, a gusty¹⁴ downpour powered by a tropical storm that had come up through Georgia by way of South Carolina. The news was predicting six to eight inches of rain in the next twenty-four hours, with more to come. Two more storms in the Gulf¹⁵ of Mexico had come ashore¹⁶ in recent days and were expected to eventually roll through the area as well, bringing even more rain. The hot, dry summer was officially coming to an end. Beth could barely see through the windshield even with the wipers at full speed. The gutters¹⁸ were beginning to flood, and as she drove toward town she saw jagged eddies¹⁹ of water making their way to the river. So far, the river hadn't risen yet, but it would: Nearly every tributary²⁰ within fifty miles fed it, and she suspected the river would reach the flood stage before long. The town could handle flooding; storms like these were a part of life in this region of the country, and most of the businesses were far enough away from the river to avoid most of the effects of all but the most exceptional of storms. The road that led to the kennel—because it ran parallel to the river—was another story. In heavy storms, especially during hurricanes, the river would sometimes stretch across it, making passage dangerous. It wouldn't be a problem today, but later in the week, she suspected things might get a lot worse. In the car, she continued to mull over her conversation with Nana. Yesterday morning, things had seemed so much simpler, but now she couldn't shake the questions going through her mind. Not only about Keith, but about Logan. If it was true that Logan and Keith had met before, why hadn't Logan said anything? And what had Keith been looking for in Logan's house? As a sheriff, Keith had access to all sorts of personal information, so it couldn't be something along those lines. What was it, then? For the life of her, she couldn't figure it out. And Keith … What if Nana and Logan were right? And assuming they were right—because after giving the matter some thought, she felt instinctively²¹ that it was all true—how could she have not seen it? It was hard to admit that she could have misjudged him. She'd been dealing²² with the man for over ten years now, and though she'd never regarded him as a beacon²³ of goodness, the idea of him sabotaging²⁴ her personal life was something she'd never considered. Who would do something like that? And why? The way Nana described it—that he thought of her as a toy he didn't want to share—had a ring of truth that made her neck tense as she drove. What surprised her most was that in this small town, where secrets were nearly impossible to keep, she'd never even suspected it. It made her wonder about her friends and neighbors, but mostly it made her wonder about the men who'd asked her out in the first place. Why wouldn't they simply have told Keith to mind his own business? Because, she reminded herself, he was a Clayton. And those men didn't argue for the same reason she didn't press Keith when it came to Ben. Sometimes it was easier just to get along. She really hated that family. Of course, she was getting ahead of herself here. Just because Logan and Nana suspected that Keith was up to something didn't necessarily make it true, she reminded herself. Which was why she was making this trip. She took a left at the major intersection²⁵, heading toward an older neighborhood, one dominated by Craftsman-style homes and large, spacious²⁷ porches. The streets were lined with massive trees, most at least a hundred years old, and she remembered that as a kid, it had always been her favorite neighborhood. It was a tradition among the families there to lavishly²⁸ decorate the exterior²⁹ of the homes on holidays, giving the place a picturesque³⁰, cheery feel. His house was in the middle of the street, and she could just make out his car parked beneath the carport. Another car was parked behind it, and though it meant he had company, she didn't feel like coming back later. After pulling to a stop in front of the house, she put up the hood²⁶ on her raincoat and stepped out into the storm. She splashed through shallow puddles³¹ that had accumulated on the walkway and climbed the steps to the porch. Through the windows, she could see a lamp blazing in the corner of the living room; a television nearby was broadcasting the latest race from NASCAR. The visitor must have insisted on it; there wasn't a chance that the owner of the house had tuned³³ it in. The man hated NASCAR, she knew. She rang the doorbell and took a small step back. When his face appeared in the doorway³⁴, it took only an instant for him to recognize her. In his expression, she saw a mixture of surprise and curiosity, along with a trace of something else she hadn't expected: fear. His gaze traveled quickly up the road in both directions before coming to rest on her. "Beth," he said. "What are you doing here?" "Hi, Adam." She smiled. "I was wondering if you had just a couple of minutes. I'd really like to talk to you." "I've got company," he said in a low voice. "It's not a good time." As if on cue, she heard a woman's voice call out from somewhere behind him, "Who is it?" "Please?" Beth said. He seemed to be calculating whether or not to close the door in her face before he sighed. "A friend," he called out. He turned. "Give me a minute, okay?" A woman appeared over his shoulder, holding a beer and wearing jeans and a T-shirt that were a little too snug³⁵. Beth recognized her as a secretary in Adam's office. Noelle, or something like that. "What does she want?" Noelle asked. It was obvious by her tone that the recognition was reciprocal. "I don't know," Adam said. "She just dropped by, okay?" "But I want to see the race," she pouted³⁶, draping an arm possessively around his waist. "I know," he said. "I won't be long." He hesitated when he saw Noelle's expression. "I promise," he reassured³⁷ her. Beth wondered whether the whine³⁸ she'd noticed in his tone had always been there, and if so, why she hadn't noticed it before. Either he'd tried to hide it or she'd been willing to ignore it. She suspected the latter, and the thought left her feeling a bit deflated³⁹. Adam stepped outside and closed the door behind him. As he faced her, she couldn't tell whether he was frightened or angry, Or both. "What is so important?" he asked. He sounded like an adolescent. "Nothing important," she countered. "I just came by to ask you a question." "About what?" Beth willed him to look at her. "I want to know the reason you never called after our dinner date." "What?" He shifted from one foot to the other, reminding her of a skittish⁴⁰ horse. "You've got to be kidding." "I'm not." "I just didn't, okay? It didn't work out. I'm sorry. Is that what you're here for? An apology?" It came out like a whine, and she found herself wondering why she'd ever gone out with him. "No, I'm not here for an apology." "Then what? Look, I've got company." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "I've got to go." As the question hung in the air, he glanced up and down the street again, and she realized what was going on. "You're afraid of him, aren't you," she said. Though he tried to hide it, she knew she'd hit a nerve. "Who? What are you talking about?" "Keith Clayton. My ex." He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, he swallowed again in an attempt to deny it. "I don't know what you're talking about." She took a step closer. "What did he do? Did he threaten you! Scare you?" "No! I don't want to talk about this," he said. He turned for the door and reached for the knob. She grabbed his arm to stop him, pushing her face close to his. His muscles tensed before relaxing. "He did. didn't he?" she pressed. "I can't talk about this." He hesitated. "He …" Though she'd suspected that both Logan and Nana were right, though her own intuition had prompted her to come here in the first place, she felt something crumple⁴¹ inside when Adam confirmed it. "What did he do?" "I can't tell you. You should understand that more than anyone. You know how he is. He'll…" He trailed off, as if suddenly realizing that he'd said too much. "He'll what?" He shook his head. "Nothing. He's not going to do anything." He stood straighter. "It didn't work out between us. Just leave it at that." He opened the door. He paused, drawing a deep breath, and she wondeted if he was about to change his mind. "Please don't come back," he said. Beth sat on her front porch in the swing, staring at the sheets of rain coming down, her clothes still wet. For the most part, Nana left her alone with her thoughts, intruding⁴² only to hand her a cup of hot tea and a warm, homemade peanut-butter cookie, but she'd been uncharacteristically silent when she'd done so. Beth sipped⁴³ the tea before realizing she didn't want it. She wasn't cold; despite the relentless⁴⁴ downpour, the air was warm and she could see fingers of mist crawling along the property. In the distance, the driveway seemed to vanish into the grayish blur⁴⁵. Her ex would be here soon. Keith Clayton. Every now and then, she'd whisper the name, making it sound like a profanity. She couldn't believe it. No, scratch that. She could—and did—believe it. Even though she'd wanted to slap Adam for being such a wimp⁴⁶ about the situation, she knew she couldn't really blame him. He was a nice guy, but he wasn't, nor had he ever been, the kind of guy who would have been picked first for a pickup⁴⁷ basketball or baseball game. There wasn't a chance that he would have stood up to her ex. She only wished Adam had revealed how Keith had done it. it was easy to imagine; she had no doubt Adam rented his office from the Clayton family. Almost every business downtown did. Did he play the rent card? Or the "we can make life difficult for you" card? Or did he play the law enforcement card? How far had the man been willing to go? Since she'd been sitting outside, she'd tried to figure out exactly how many times it had happened. There weren't that many, maybe five or six, she thought, that had ended in much the same sudden, inexplicable⁴⁸ way it had ended with Adam. That was counting Frank, which was what? Seven years ago? Had he been following her, stalking on her, that long? The realization⁴⁹ made her sick to her stomach. And Adam … What was it about the men she picked that made each of them roll over and play dead the moment Keith intervened? Yes, they were a powerful family, and yes, he was a sheriff, but whatever happened to being a man? Telling him to mind his own business! And why didn't they at least come to her and tell her? Instead, they'd slunk off with their tails between their legs. Between them and Keith, she hadn't had the best of luck with men. How did that saying go? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me? Was it her fault for picking such disappointing men? Maybe, she admitted. Still, that wasn't the issue. The issue was that Keith had been working behind the scenes to keep things exactly the way he wanted. As if he owned her. The thought made her stomach roil⁵⁰ again, and she wished that Logan were here. Not because Keith would be here soon to drop off Ben. She didn't need him for that. She wasn't afraid of Keith. She'd never been afraid of him because she knew that deep down he was a bully⁵¹, and bullies⁵² were quick to back down when anyone stood up to them. It was the same reason Nana wasn't afraid of Keith. Drake, too, had sensed that, and she knew he'd always made Keith nervous. No, she wanted Logan here because he was good at listening, and she knew he wouldn't interrupt her rant⁵³, or try to solve her problem, or get bored if she said, "I can't believe he actually did that," a hundred times. He would let her vent¹⁷. Then again, she thought, the last thing she wanted was to talk the anger out of her system. It was much better to let it simmer. She needed the anger when she confronted Keith—it would keep her sharp—but at the same time, she didn't want to lose control. If she started screaming, Keith would simply deny it all before storming off. What she wanted, however, was for Keith to stay out of her private life—especially now that Logan was in the picture—without making Ben's weekends with his father any worse than they already were. No, it was better that Logan wasn't here. Keith might overreact if he saw Logan again, even provoke Logan to action somehow, which could be a problem. If Logan so much as touched her ex, he'd find himself in jail for a long, long time. She had to talk to Logan about that later to make sure he understood how the deck was stacked in Hampton. But for now, she had to handle her little problem. In the distance, headlights appeared and the car seemed first to liquefy, then solidify⁵⁴ as it approached the house. She saw Nana peek⁵⁵ through the curtains, then pull back. Beth rose from the swing and stepped toward the edge of the porch as the passenger door swung open. Ben scrambled⁵⁶ out holding his backpack and stepped into a puddle³², soaking his shoes. He didn't seem to notice as he trotted⁵⁷ toward the steps and up to the porch. "Hey, Mom," he said. They hugged before he looked up at her. "Can we have spaghetti for dinner?" "Sure, sweetie. How was your weekend?" He shrugged. "You know." "Yeah," she said. "I know. Why don't you go inside and change? I think Nana baked some cookies. And take off your shoes, okay?" "Are you coming?" "In a few minutes. I want to talk to your dad first." "Why?" "Don't worry. It's not about you." He tried to read her expression, and she put her hand on his shoulder. "Go on. Nana's waiting." Ben went inside as Keith rolled down his window a couple of inches. "We had a great time this weekend! Don't let him tell you any different." His tone was full of an airy confidence. Probably, she thought because Logan wasn't around. She took another step forward. "Do you have a minute?" He stared at her through the crack before he slipped the car into park and shut off the engine. He pushed open the door, stepped out, and ran toward the steps. Once on the porch, he shook his head, sending a few drops of water flying before grinning at her. He probably thought he looked sexy. "What's up?" he asked. "Like I said, Ben and I had a great time this weekend." "Did you make him clean your kitchen again?" The grin faded. "What do you want, Beth?" "Don't get sore. I just asked a question." He continued to stare at her, trying to read her. "I don't tell you what to do with Ben when he's with you, and I expect the same courtesy. Now what did you want to talk about?" "A few things, actually." Despite the disgust she felt, she forced a smile and motioned to the porch swing. "Would you like to sit down?" He seemed surprised. "Sure," he said. "But I can't stay long. I've got plans this evening." Of course you do, she thought. Either that, or you want me to think that you do. The kind of reminder⁵⁸ that had been typical since their divorce. They took a seat on the swing. After sitting, he jiggled it back and forth⁵⁹ before leaning back and spreading his arms. "This is nice. Did you do this?" She tried to keep as much distance between them on the swing 35 she could. "Logan put it up." "Logan!" "Logan Thibault. He works for Nana at the kennel now. Remember? You met him." He scratched his chin. "The guy that was here the other night?" As if you don't know. "Yes, that's him." "And he's okay with cleaning cages and scooping⁶⁰ up crap?" he asked. She ignored the obvious dig. "Uh-huh." He exhaled⁶¹ as he shook his head. "Better him than me." He turned toward her with a shrug⁶. "So what's up?" She considered her words carefully. "This is hard for me to say..She trailed off, knowing it would make him more interested. "What is it?" She sat up straighten "I was talking to one of my friends the other day, and she said something that just didn't sit right with me." "What did she say?" Keith leaned toward her, alert. "Well, before I tell you, I just want to say that it was one of those rumor⁶² mill things. A friend of a friend of a friend heard something, and it eventually got passed on to me. It's about you." His expression was curious. "You have my attention." "What she said was…" She hesitated. "She said that in the past, you've followed me on my dates. And that you told some of them that you didn't want them to date me." She made a point not to look directly at him, but from the comer of her eye, she saw his expression freeze. Not only shocked. Guilty. She pressed her lips together to keep from blowing up. His face relaxed. "I can't believe it." He drummed his fingers on his leg. "Who told you that?" "It's not important." She waved off the comment. "You don't know her." "I'm curious," he pressed. "It's not important," she said again. "It's not true, is it?" "Of course not How could you even think something like that?" Liar⁶³! she screamed inside, willing herself not to say anything. In the silence, he shook his head. "Sounds to me like you need to start picking better friends. And to be honest, I'm a little hurt that we're even having this conversation." She forced herself to smile. "I told her it wasn't true." "But you wanted to make sure by asking me in person." She heard a tinge⁶⁴ of anger in his voice and reminded herself to be careful. "You were coming over," she said, trying to sound casual. "And besides, we've known each other long enough that we can talk like adults." She looked at him wide-eyed, the victim of an innocent mistake. "Did it bother you that I asked?" "No, but still, to even think it…" Keith threw up his hands. "I didn't. But I wanted to tell you because I figured you might want to know what other people might be saying behind your back. I don't like them talking about Ben's father that way, and I said that to her." Her words had the effect she wanted: He puffed⁶⁵ up with self-righteous pride. "Thanks for defending me." "Nothing to defend. You know how gossip is. It's the toxic⁶⁶ waste of small towns." She shook her head. "So how's everything else? Work going well?" "Same as always. How's your class this year?" "It's a pretty good group of kids. So far, anyway." "Good," he said. He motioned toward the yard. "Some storm, huh? I could barely see the road." "I was thinking the same thing when you drove up. It's crazy. It was gorgeous at the beach yesterday." "You were at the beach?" She nodded. "Logan and I went. We've been seeing each other for a while now." "Huh," he said. "Sounds like it's getting serious." She offered a sidelong glance. "Don't tell me that woman was tight about you." "No, of course not." She worked up a playful smile. "I know. I was just teasing. And no, we're not serious yet, but he's a great guy." He brought his hands together. "How does Nana feel about that?" "Why does that matter?" He shifted in his seat. "I'm just saying that situations like this can be complicated." "What are you talking about?" "He works here. And you know how the courts are these days. You're opening yourself up to a major sexual harassment⁶⁷ lawsuit⁶⁸." "He wouldn't do that—" Keith spoke⁶⁹ with patience, as if lecturing someone much younger. "Trust me. That's what everyone says. But think about it. He has no ties to the community, and if he's working for Nana, I doubt he has much money. No offense⁷⁰. But remember, your family owns a lot of land." He shrugged. "I'm just saying that if I were you, I'd be very careful." He sounded persuasive⁷¹ and, despite her knowledge to the contrary, caring. A friend who was generally concerned for her well-being⁷². The man should be an actor, she thought. "Nana owns the land and the house. Not me." "You know how lawyers can be." I know exactly, she thought. I remember what your lawyer did at the custody⁷³ hearing. "I don't think it'll be a problem. But I'll talk to Nana about it," Beth conceded. "That's probably a good idea." He sounded smug. "I'm just glad I was right about you." "What do you mean?" "You know—not having a problem with me dating someone like Logan. Aside from the sexual harassment concern. I really like him." He uncrossed his legs. "I wouldn't say I have no problem with it" "But you just said—" "I said I don't care who you date, and I don't. But I do care who comes into my son's life because I care about my son." "As you should. But what does that have to do with anything?" Beth protested. "Think about it, Beth … you don't see the things that I have to see. In your work, I mean. But I see terrible things all the time, so of course I'd be concerned about anyone who spends a lot of time with Ben. I'd want to know if he was violent or if he was some sort of pervert—" "He's not," Beth interrupted. She felt her color rising despite herself. "We ran a background check on him." "They can be faked. It's not hard to come up with a new identity. How do you even know his real name's Logan? It's not like you can ask anyone around here. Have you talked to anyone from his past? Or his family?" "No…" "There you go. I'm just telling you to be careful." He shrugged. "And I'm not saying that just because of Ben. It's for you, too. There are some bad people in the world, and the reason they're not in jail is because they've learned how to hide it." "You make it sound like he's some sort of criminal!" "I'm not trying to. He could be the nicest, most responsible guy in the world. I'm just saying that you don't know who he really is. And until you do, it's better to be safe than sorry. You read the papers and watch the news. I'm not telling you something you don't already know. I just don't want anything to happen to Ben. And I don't want to see you get hurt." Beth opened her mouth to say something, but for the first time since sitting down with her ex, she could think of nothing to say.

1 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

2 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

5 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。

6 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

7 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 dabs   

少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练

参考例句：

• Each of us had two dabs of butter. 我们每人吃了两小块黄油。
• He made a few dabs at the fence with the paint but didn't really paint it. 他用颜料轻刷栅栏，但一点也没刷上。

9 whooshed   

v.（使）飞快移动( whoosh的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Oil whooshed up when the drill hit the well. 当钻孔机钻井时，石油喷了出来。 来自互联网
• Then his breath had whooshed out again, making Bianca's magic useless. 接着他终于发出一声低沉的呼吸，这让比安卡的魔法失去了作用。 来自互联网

10 clobbering   

v.狠揍， （不停）猛打( clobber的现在分词 )；彻底击败

参考例句：

• Other metals have suffered a similar clobbering. 其它金属价格亦遭受了同样的痛击。 来自互联网
• A clobbering now would probably make them more likely to turn to an electable candidate in2008. 因此，现在的失败也许将在2008年重新为他们赢回候选席位。 来自互联网

11 dribbled   

v.流口水( dribble的过去式和过去分词 )；（使液体）滴下或作细流；运球，带球

参考例句：

• Melted wax dribbled down the side of the candle. 熔化了的蜡一滴滴从蜡烛边上流下。
• He dribbled past the fullback and scored a goal. 他越过对方后卫，趁势把球踢入球门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

13 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

14 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

15 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

16 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

17 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

18 gutters   

（路边）排水沟( gutter的名词复数 )； 阴沟； （屋顶的）天沟； 贫贱的境地

参考例句：

• Gutters lead the water into the ditch. 排水沟把水排到这条水沟里。
• They were born, they grew up in the gutters. 他们生了下来，以后就在街头长大。

19 eddies   

（水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Viscosity overwhelms the smallest eddies and converts their energy into heat. 粘性制服了最小的旋涡而将其能量转换为热。
• But their work appears to merge in the study of large eddies. 但在大旋涡的研究上，他们的工作看来却殊途同归。

20 tributary   

n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的

参考例句：

• There was a tributary road near the end of the village.村的尽头有条岔道。
• As the largest tributary of Jinsha river,Yalong river is abundant in hydropower resources.雅砻江是金沙江的最大支流，水力资源十分丰富。

21 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

23 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

24 sabotaging   

阴谋破坏（某事物）( sabotage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Smith fiercely denied any question of sabotaging the talks. 史密斯先生坚决拒绝任何企图阻挠谈话的提问。
• Failed in sabotaging APEC summit in Sydney of Australia. 澳大利亚悉尼APEC会议遭遇惨败。

25 intersection   

n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集

参考例句：

• There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。
• Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。

26 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

27 spacious   

adj.广阔的，宽敞的

参考例句：

• Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。
• The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

28 lavishly   

adv.慷慨地，大方地

参考例句：

• His house was lavishly adorned.他的屋子装饰得很华丽。
• The book is lavishly illustrated in full colour.这本书里有大量全彩插图。

29 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

30 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

31 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

33 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

35 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。

36 pouted   

v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her lips pouted invitingly. 她挑逗地撮起双唇。
• I pouted my lips at him, hinting that he should speak first. 我向他努了努嘴，让他先说。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

37 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

38 whine   

v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣

参考例句：

• You are getting paid to think,not to whine.支付给你工资是让你思考而不是哀怨的。
• The bullet hit a rock and rocketed with a sharp whine.子弹打在一块岩石上，一声尖厉的呼啸，跳飞开去。

39 deflated   

adj. 灰心丧气的

参考例句：

• I was quite deflated by her lack of interest in my suggestions.他对我的建议兴趣不大，令我感到十分气馁。
• He was deflated by the news.这消息令他泄气。

40 skittish   

adj.易激动的，轻佻的

参考例句：

• She gets very skittish when her boy-friend is around.她男朋友在场时，她就显得格外轻佻。
• I won't have my son associating with skittish girls.我不准我的儿子与轻佻的女孩交往。

41 crumple   

v.把...弄皱，满是皱痕，压碎，崩溃

参考例句：

• Take care not to crumple your dress by packing it carelessly.当心不要因收放粗心压纵你的衣服。
• The wall was likely to crumple up at any time.墙随时可能坍掉。

42 intruding   

v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于

参考例句：

• Does he find his new celebrity intruding on his private life? 他是否感觉到他最近的成名侵扰了他的私生活？
• After a few hours of fierce fighting,we saw the intruding bandits off. 经过几小时的激烈战斗，我们赶走了入侵的匪徒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
• I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句

44 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

45 blur   

n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚

参考例句：

• The houses appeared as a blur in the mist.房子在薄雾中隐隐约约看不清。
• If you move your eyes and your head,the picture will blur.如果你的眼睛或头动了，图像就会变得模糊不清。

46 wimp   

n.无用的人

参考例句：

• The more she called her husband a wimp,the more timid he became.她越叫她先生懦夫，他就越胆小怯懦。
• I hate those who get on their high horses in front of wimps.我最恨那些在弱者面前盛气凌人的人。

47 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

48 inexplicable   

adj.无法解释的，难理解的

参考例句：

• It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的，现在已经无法说清楚了。
• There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。

49 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

50 roil   

v.搅浑，激怒

参考例句：

• Times of national turmoil generally roil a country's financial markets.在国家动荡不安的时代，该国的金融市场一般都会出现混乱。
• Some of her habits are off-putting but don't let them roil you.她的一些习惯让人恶心，但最好别烦你。

51 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

52 bullies   

n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负

参考例句：

• Standing up to bullies takes plenty of backbone. 勇敢地对付暴徒需有大无畏精神。
• Bullies can make your life hell. 恃强欺弱者能让你的日子像活地狱。

53 rant   

v.咆哮；怒吼；n.大话；粗野的话

参考例句：

• You can rant and rave at the fine,but you'll still have to pay it.你闹也好，骂也好，罚金还是得交。
• If we rant on the net,the world is our audience.如果我们在网络上大声嚷嚷，全世界都是我们的听众。

54 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

55 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

56 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

57 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

58 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

59 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

60 scooping   

n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
• The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中，铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网

61 exhaled   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
• He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚，他吐了口长气，很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

62 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

63 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

64 tinge   

vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息

参考例句：

• The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
• There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.她声音中流露出一丝忧伤。

65 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

66 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

67 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

68 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

69 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

70 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

71 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

72 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

73 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。