Phileas Fogg rightly suspected that his departure from London would create a lively sensation at the West End. The news of the bet spread through the Reform Club, and afforded an exciting topic of conversation to its members. From the Club it soon got into the papers throughout England. The boasted `tour of the world' was talked about, disputed, argued with as much warmth as if the subject were another Alabama claim. Some took sides with Phileas Fogg, but the large majority shook their heads and declared against him; it was absurd, impossible, they declared, that the tour of the world could be made, except theoretically and on paper, in this minimum of time, and with the existing means of travelling. The Times, Standard, Morning Post, and Daily New, and twenty other highly respectable newspapers scouted² Mr Fogg's project as madness; the Daily Telegraph alone hesitatingly supported him. People in general thought him a lunatic, and blamed his Reform Club friends for having accepted a wager³ which betrayed the mental aberration⁴ of its proposer.

Articles no less passionate⁵ than logical appeared on the question, for geography is one of the pet subjects of the English; and the columns devoted⁶ to Phileas Fogg's venture were eagerly devoured⁷ by all classes of readers. At first some rash individuals, principally of the gentler sex, espoused⁸ his cause, which became still more popular when the Illustrated⁹ London News came out with his portrait, copied from a photograph in the Reform Club. A few readers of the Daily Telegraph even dared to say, `Why not, after all? Stranger things have come to pass.'

At last a long article appeared, on the 7th of October, in the bulletin of the Royal Geographical¹⁰

点击收听单词发音  

1 par
n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的
参考例句：
Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。 I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

2 scouted
寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等）
参考例句：
They scouted around for a shop that was open late. 他们四处寻找，看看还有没有夜间营业的商店。 They scouted around for a beauty parlour. 他们四处寻找美容院。

3 wager
n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌
参考例句：
They laid a wager on the result of the race.他们以竞赛的结果打赌。 I made a wager that our team would win.我打赌我们的队会赢。

4 aberration
n.离开正路，脱离常规，色差
参考例句：
The removal of the chromatic aberration is then of primary importance.这时消除色差具有头等重要性。 Owing to a strange mental aberration he forgot his own name.由于一种莫名的精神错乱，他把自己的名字忘了。

5 passionate
adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的
参考例句：
He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。 He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

6 devoted
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。 We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 devoured
吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光
参考例句：
She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers. 无论是书、杂志，还是报纸，只要能弄得到，她都看得津津有味。 The lions devoured a zebra in a short time. 狮子一会儿就吃掉了一匹斑马。

8 espoused
v.（决定）支持，拥护（目标、主张等）( espouse的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They espoused the notion of equal opportunity for all in education. 他们赞同在教育方面人人机会均等的观念。 The ideas she espoused were incomprehensible to me. 她所支持的意见令我难以理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 illustrated
adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。 The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

10 geographical
adj.地理的；地区(性)的
参考例句：
The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。 These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

11 folly
n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话
参考例句：
Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。 Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

12 miraculous
adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的
参考例句：
The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。 They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

13 relatively
adv.比较...地，相对地
参考例句：
The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。 The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

14 misgiving
n.疑虑，担忧，害怕
参考例句：
She had some misgivings about what she was about to do.她对自己即将要做的事情存有一些顾虑。 The first words of the text filled us with misgiving.正文开头的文字让我们颇为担心。

15 machinery
n.(总称)机械，机器；机构
参考例句：
Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？ Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

16 uncommon
adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的
参考例句：
Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。 Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

17 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

18 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

19 temperament
n.气质，性格，性情
参考例句：
The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。 Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

20 wagers
n.赌注，用钱打赌( wager的名词复数 )v.在（某物）上赌钱，打赌( wager的第三人称单数 )；保证，担保
参考例句：
He wagers $100 on the result of the election. 他用100美元来对选举结果打赌。 来自互联网 He often wagers money on horses. 他时常在马身上赌钱。 来自互联网

21 premium
n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的
参考例句：
You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。 Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

22 subside
vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降
参考例句：
The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。 The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

23 paralytic
adj. 瘫痪的 n. 瘫痪病人
参考例句：
She was completely paralytic last night.她昨天晚上喝得酩酊大醉。 She rose and hobbled to me on her paralytic legs and kissed me.她站起来，拖着她那麻痹的双腿一瘸一拐地走到我身边，吻了吻我。

24 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。

25 contented
adj.满意的，安心的，知足的
参考例句：
He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。 The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

26 dwindled
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。 His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 commissioner
n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员
参考例句：
The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。 He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

28 despatch
n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道
参考例句：
The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure.派出特遣部队纯粹是应急之举。 He rushed the despatch through to headquarters.他把急件赶送到总部。

29 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

30 undertaking
n.保证，许诺，事业
参考例句：
He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。 He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

31 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

32 elude
v.躲避，困惑
参考例句：
If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。 I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。