By early December, just over two weeks into rehearsals², the sky was winter dark before Miss Garber would let us leave, and Jamie asked me if I wouldn’t mind walking her home. I don’t know why she wanted me to. Beaufort wasn’t exactly a hotbed of criminal activity back then. The only murder I’d ever heard about had occurred six years earlier when a guy was stabbed outside of Maurice’s Tavern³, which was a hangout for people like Lew, by the way. For an hour or so it caused

quite a stir, and phone lines buzzed all over town while nervous women wondered about the possibility of a crazed lunatic wandering the streets, preying⁴ on innocent victims. Doors were locked, guns were loaded, men sat by the front windows, looking for anyone out of the ordinary who might be creeping down the street. But the whole thing was over before the night was through when the guy walked into the police station to give himself up, explaining that it was a bar fight that got out of hand. Evidently the victim had welshed on a bet. The guy was charged with second-degree murder and got six years in the state penitentiary⁵. The policemen in our town had the most boring jobs in the world, but they still liked to strut⁶ around with a swagger or sit in coffee shops while they talked about the “big crime,” as if they’d cracked the case of the Lindbergh baby.

But Jamie’s house was on the way to mine, and I couldn’t say no without hurting her feelings. It wasn’t that I liked her or anything, don’t get the wrong idea, but when you’ve had to spend a few hours a day with someone, and you’re going to continue doing that for at least another week, you don’t want to do anything that might make the next day miserable⁷ for either of you.  The play was going to be performed that Friday and Saturday, and lots of people were already talking about it. Miss Garber had been so impressed by Jamie and me that she kept telling everyone it was going to be the best play the school had ever done. She had a real

点击收听单词发音  

1 rehearsal
n.排练，排演；练习
参考例句：
I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。 You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

2 rehearsals
n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复
参考例句：
The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。 She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tavern
n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店
参考例句：
There is a tavern at the corner of the street.街道的拐角处有一家酒馆。 Philip always went to the tavern,with a sense of pleasure.菲利浦总是心情愉快地来到这家酒菜馆。

4 preying
v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生
参考例句：
This problem has been preying on my mind all day. 这个问题让我伤了整整一天脑筋。 来自《简明英汉词典》 For a while he let his eyes idly follow the preying bird. 他自己的眼睛随着寻食的鸟毫无目的地看了一会儿。 来自辞典例句

5 penitentiary
n.感化院；监狱
参考例句：
He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。 While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候，她的父亲死了，家庭就拆散了。

6 strut
v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆
参考例句：
The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。 Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。

7 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。

8 flair
n.天赋，本领，才华；洞察力
参考例句：
His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。 He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。

9 promotion
n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传
参考例句：
The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。 The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

10 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。

11 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

12 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 graveyard
n.坟场
参考例句：
All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。 Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。

14 chirping
鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The birds,chirping relentlessly,woke us up at daybreak. 破晓时鸟儿不断吱吱地叫，把我们吵醒了。 The birds are chirping merrily. 鸟儿在欢快地鸣叫着。

15 rustling
n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的
参考例句：
the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声 the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

16 orphans
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。 Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

17 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。

18 goof
v.弄糟；闲混；n.呆瓜
参考例句：
We goofed last week at the end of our interview with singer Annie Ross.上周我们采访歌手安妮·罗斯，结果到快结束时犯了个愚蠢的错误。 You will never be good students so long as you goof around.如果你们成天游手好闲，就永远也成不了好学生。

19 smack
vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍
参考例句：
She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。 I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。

20 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》

21 tugged
v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。 A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 blurted
v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。 He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 scripture
n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段
参考例句：
The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。 They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

24 dedication
n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞
参考例句：
We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。 Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

25 miscarriages
流产( miscarriage的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Miscarriages are usually caused by abnormal chromosome patterns in the fetus. 流产通常是因为胎儿的染色体异常造成的。 Criminals go unpunishedareconvicted and are miscarriages of justice. 罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。

26 steering
n.操舵装置
参考例句：
He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。 Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

27 darted
v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 dart
v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲
参考例句：
The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。 Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

29 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。

30 speculation
n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机
参考例句：
Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。 There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

31 prop
vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山
参考例句：
A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。 The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

32 props
小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋
参考例句：
Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。 The government props up the prices of farm products to support farmers' incomes. 政府保持农产品价格不变以保障农民们的收入。

33 coordinated
adj.协调的
参考例句：
The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。 The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

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 stifle
vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止
参考例句：
She tried hard to stifle her laughter.她强忍住笑。 It was an uninteresting conversation and I had to stifle a yawn.那是一次枯燥无味的交谈，我不得不强忍住自己的呵欠。

36 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

37 sarcastically
adv.挖苦地，讽刺地
参考例句：
'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。 Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。

38 trek
vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行
参考例句：
We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。 It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

39 exasperated
adj.恼怒的
参考例句：
We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。 Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

40 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

41 winced
赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。 He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。