CHAPTER24

On the morning after the storm,Lionblaze was chosen for the dawn patrol with Brackenfur, Sorreltail, and Cinderheart. Strengthening daylight shone down through the trees as they padded away from the stone hollow. There was scarcely a breeze to disturb the leaves that still remained on the trees. Lionblaze could almost pretend that he had dreamed the storm, if it wasn’t for the litter of twigs¹ and branches on the forest floor, and the blackened husks of the trees struck by lightning.

His pelt² itched³ all the time he was away from the stone hollow, as he wondered what he would find when he returned, what accusations⁴ and gasps⁵ of shock would greet him. But the camp was peaceful, with Brambleclaw directing the repairs to the dens⁶. Thornclaw and Mousewhisker were busy patching the last gaps in the brambles around the nursery; Foxpaw and Icepaw were carrying in huge bundles of fresh bedding. Cloudtail and Brightheart worked together, dragging burnt branches away from the warriors⁸’ den⁷, while Whitewing, Birchfall, and Berrynose cleared debris¹⁰ from the floor of the clearing. Lionblaze overheard Berrynose grumbling¹¹ that this wasn’t a job for a warrior⁹.

Nothing’s changed!he thought. He couldn’t spot Ashfur among the cats in the clearing, but obviously the gray warrior hadn’t revealed the secret yet.

Lionblaze tried to believe that the storm of the discovery had passed away like the rain and thunder, leaving calm behind, but he knew in his heart that the damage from Squirrelflight’s revelation would last for moons and moons.

点击收听单词发音  

1 twigs
细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。 Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

2 pelt
v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火
参考例句：
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。 Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

3 itched
v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Seeing the children playing ping-pong, he itched to have a go. 他看到孩子们打乒乓，不觉技痒。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He could hardly sIt'still and itched to have a go. 他再也坐不住了，心里跃跃欲试。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 accusations
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名
参考例句：
There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。 He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 gasps
v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
He leant against the railing, his breath coming in short gasps. 他倚着栏杆，急促地喘气。 来自《简明英汉词典》 My breaths were coming in gasps. 我急促地喘起气来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dens
n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋
参考例句：
Female bears tend to line their dens with leaves or grass. 母熊往往会在洞穴里垫些树叶或草。 来自辞典例句 In winter bears usually hibernate in their dens. 冬天熊通常在穴里冬眠。 来自辞典例句

7 den
n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室
参考例句：
There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。 The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

8 warriors
武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句：
I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。 The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

9 warrior
n.勇士，武士，斗士
参考例句：
The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。 A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

10 debris
n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片
参考例句：
After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。 Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

11 grumbling
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的
参考例句：
She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。 We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

12 kin
n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的
参考例句：
He comes of good kin.他出身好。 She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

13 grumbled
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声
参考例句：
He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。 The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

14 flicking
（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）
参考例句：
He helped her up before flicking the reins. 他帮她上马，之后挥动了缰绳。 There's something flicking around my toes. 有什么东西老在叮我的脚指头。

15 trot
n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧
参考例句：
They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。 The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

16 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

17 hiss
v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满
参考例句：
We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。 Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

18 spotted
adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的
参考例句：
The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。 Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

19 clump
n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走
参考例句：
A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。 It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

20 scoop
n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出
参考例句：
In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。 Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。

21 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》

22 lashed
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥
参考例句：
The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。 The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 frustration
n.挫折，失败，失效，落空
参考例句：
He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。 He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

24 mentor
n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导
参考例句：
He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。 He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

25 flicked
（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）
参考例句：
She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。 I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。

26 pang
n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷
参考例句：
She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。 She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

27 tingled
v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
My cheeks tingled with the cold. 我的脸颊冻得有点刺痛。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The crowd tingled with excitement. 群众大为兴奋。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

28 clan
n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派
参考例句：
She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。 The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

29 jaws
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

30 kit
n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物
参考例句：
The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。 The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

31 stammered
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

32 shriek
v./n.尖叫，叫喊
参考例句：
Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。 People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。

33 veins
n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理
参考例句：
The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 kits
衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件
参考例句：
Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。 Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

35 wrestled
v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤
参考例句：
As a boy he had boxed and wrestled. 他小的时候又是打拳又是摔跤。 Armed guards wrestled with the intruder. 武装警卫和闯入者扭打起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 joyfully
adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地
参考例句：
She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。 During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

37 prey
n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨
参考例句：
Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。 The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

38 fretted
焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的
参考例句：
The wind whistled through the twigs and fretted the occasional, dirty-looking crocuses. 寒风穿过枯枝，有时把发脏的藏红花吹刮跑了。 来自英汉文学 The lady's fame for hitting the mark fretted him. 这位太太看问题深刻的名声在折磨着他。

39 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

40 pricked
刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛
参考例句：
The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。 He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

41 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

42 scant
adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略
参考例句：
Don't scant the butter when you make a cake.做糕饼时不要吝惜奶油。 Many mothers pay scant attention to their own needs when their children are small.孩子们小的时候，许多母亲都忽视自己的需求。

43 hissed
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句：
Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？ The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

44 flexed
adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌
参考例句：
He stretched and flexed his knees to relax himself. 他伸屈膝关节使自己放松一下。 来自辞典例句 He flexed his long stringy muscles manfully. 他孔武有力地弯起膀子，显露出细长条的肌肉。 来自辞典例句

45 bristle
v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发
参考例句：
It has a short stumpy tail covered with bristles.它粗短的尾巴上鬃毛浓密。 He bristled with indignation at the suggestion that he was racist.有人暗示他是个种族主义者，他对此十分恼火。

46 wailed
v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句

47 clans
宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派
参考例句：
There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。 The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

48 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

49 assessment
n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额
参考例句：
This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。 What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

50 spat
n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声
参考例句：
Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。 There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

51 wriggled
v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）
参考例句：
He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

52 dozing
v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡
参考例句：
The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。 He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

53 moss
n.苔，藓，地衣
参考例句：
Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。 He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

54 ginger
n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气
参考例句：
There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。 Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

55 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。

56 scraps
油渣
参考例句：
Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。 A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

57 wariness
n. 注意,小心
参考例句：
The British public's wariness of opera is an anomaly in Europe. 英国公众对歌剧不大轻易接受的态度在欧洲来说很反常。 There certainly is a history of wariness about using the R-word. 历史表明绝对应当谨慎使用“衰退”一词。

58 twitched
vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。 The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着，像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

59 snarl
v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮
参考例句：
At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。 The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。

60 reek
v.发出臭气；n.恶臭
参考例句：
Where there's reek,there's heat.哪里有恶臭，哪里必发热。 That reek is from the fox.那股恶臭是狐狸发出的。

61 scarlet
n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的
参考例句：
The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。 The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

62 scrambling
v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞
参考例句：
Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

63 gaped
v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大
参考例句：
A huge chasm gaped before them. 他们面前有个巨大的裂痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The front door was missing. A hole gaped in the roof. 前门不翼而飞，屋顶豁开了一个洞。 来自辞典例句

64 flexing
n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌
参考例句：
Flexing particular muscles allows snakes to move in several ways. 可弯曲的特殊的肌肉使蛇可以用几种方式移动。 来自电影对白 China has become an economic superpower and is flexing its muscles. 中国已经成为了一个经济巨人而且在展示他的肌肉。 来自互联网

65 beckoning
adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 )
参考例句：
An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句 He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句

66 sniffed
v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说
参考例句：
When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

67 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》

68 steadily
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。 Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

69 raving
adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地
参考例句：
The man's a raving lunatic. 那个男子是个语无伦次的疯子。 When I told her I'd crashed her car, she went stark raving bonkers. 我告诉她我把她的车撞坏了时，她暴跳如雷。

70 sneered
讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。 It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

71 hostility
n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争
参考例句：
There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。 His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。