Halfway¹ across the living room, Amy took her own spill. One of her feet came down on the discarded issue of EQMM and she fell sprawling² on her side, hurting her hip³ and right breast. She cried out.

Behind her, Shooter ran across to the table and snatched up the screwdriver⁴ he had used on the cat.

'Stay right there, and be still,' he said as she turned over on her back and stared at him with wide eyes which looked almost drugged. 'If you move around, I'm only goin to hurt you before it's over. I don't want to hurt you, missus, but I will if I have to. I've got to have something, you see. I have come all this way, and I've got to have something for my trouble.'

As he approached, Amy propped⁵ herself up on her elbows and shoved herself backward with her feet. Her hair hung in her face. Her skin was coated with sweat; she could smell it pouring out of her, hot and stinking⁶. The face above her was the solemn, judgmental face of insanity⁷.

'No, Mort! Please! Please, Mort

He flung himself at her, raising the screwdriver over his head and then bringing it down. Amy shrieked⁸ and rolled to the left. Pain burned a line across her hip as the screwdriver blade tore her dress and grooved⁹ her flesh. Then she was scrambling¹⁰ to her knees, hearing and feeling the dress shred¹¹ out a long unwinding strip as she did it.

'No, ma'am,' Shooter panted. His hand closed upon her ankle. 'No, ma'am.' She looked over her shoulder and through the

点击收听单词发音  

1 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

2 sprawling
adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）
参考例句：
He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。 a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

3 hip
n.臀部，髋；屋脊
参考例句：
The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。 The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

4 screwdriver
n.螺丝起子；伏特加橙汁鸡尾酒
参考例句：
He took a screwdriver and teased out the remaining screws.他拿出螺丝刀把其余的螺丝卸了下来。 The electric drill can also be used as a screwdriver.这把电钻也可用作螺丝刀。

5 propped
支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。 This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

6 stinking
adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透
参考例句：
I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。 Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

7 insanity
n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐
参考例句：
In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。 He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

8 shrieked
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。 Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

9 grooved
v.沟( groove的过去式和过去分词 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏
参考例句：
He was grooved in running errands for his neighbors. 他已习惯于为邻居跑腿。 来自辞典例句 The carpenter grooved the board. 木匠在木板上开槽。 来自辞典例句

10 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》

11 shred
v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少
参考例句：
There is not a shred of truth in what he says.他说的全是骗人的鬼话。 The food processor can shred all kinds of vegetables.这架食品加工机可将各种蔬菜切丝切条。

12 tangles
（使）缠结， （使）乱作一团( tangle的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Long hair tangles easily. 长头发容易打结。 Tangles like this still interrupted their intercourse. 像这类纠缠不清的误会仍然妨碍着他们的交情。

13 askew
adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的
参考例句：
His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。 Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。

14 calf
n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮
参考例句：
The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。 The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

15 horrid
adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的
参考例句：
I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。 The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

16 grunted
（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说
参考例句：
She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。 She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

17 crooked
adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的
参考例句：
He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。 You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

18 recoiled
v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回
参考例句：
She recoiled from his touch. 她躲开他的触摸。 Howard recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice. 听到我的尖声，霍华德往后缩了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 flailing
v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克
参考例句：
He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse. 他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。 来自《简明英汉词典》 His arms were flailing in all directions. 他的手臂胡乱挥舞着。 来自辞典例句

20 skidding
n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区
参考例句：
All the wheels of the truck were tied up with iron chains to avoid skidding on the ice road. 大卡车的所有轮子上都捆上了铁链，以防止在结冰的路面上打滑。 来自《用法词典》 I saw the motorcycle skidding and its rider spilling in dust. 我看到摩托车打滑，骑车人跌落在地。 来自互联网

21 catching
adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住
参考例句：
There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。 Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

22 squelched
v.发吧唧声，发扑哧声( squelch的过去式和过去分词 )；制止；压制；遏制
参考例句：
We squelched over the soggy ground. 我们咕唧咕唧地走过泥泞的土地。 The mud squelched as I walked through it. 我扑哧扑哧地穿过泥泞。

23 puffing
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 nostrils
鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。 The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

25 whooshing
v.（使）飞快移动( whoosh的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. 我喜欢最后期待。我尤其喜欢它们飞驰而过时发出的嗖嗖声。 来自互联网 The constant whooshing of the wind across the roof wouldn't fade into the background. 不断跑车疾速的风雨整个屋顶不会褪色的背景。 来自互联网

26 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

27 casually
adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地
参考例句：
She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。 I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

28 punctuation
n.标点符号，标点法
参考例句：
My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。 A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。

29 sob
n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣
参考例句：
The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。 The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。

30 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。