It was the morning of the tenth of December that the eager little group assembled at dawn on Marston’s pasture to witness the test of the Kane Aircraft.

Steve was so occupied with his final adjustments and anxiety lest he should overlook some important point, that he never thought of danger. He would not have remembered even his goggles¹ had not Orissa handed them to him and told him to put them on.

This was the first time Mr. Cumberford had witnessed a performance of the aëroplane, yet he was much less excited than his daughter, who could not withdraw her gaze from the device and was nervously² attentive³ to every move that the young aviator⁴ made. Orissa, confident of the result, was most composed of all.

When all was ready Steve took his seat, started the motors, and when they had acquired full speed threw in the clutch. The aëroplane ran less than fifty feet on its wheels before it began to rise, 123when it steadily⁵ soared into the air and mounted to an elevation⁶ of several hundred feet. By this time the aviator, who had kept a straight course, was half a dozen miles from the starting point; but now he made a wide circle and, returning, passed over Marston’s pasture at the same high altitude.

The speed of the aircraft was marvelous. Mr. Cumberford declared it was making a mile a minute, which estimate was probably correct. After circling for a while Steve descended⁷ to a hundred feet in a straight dive, holding the device in perfect control and maintaining at all times an exact balance. At a hundred feet he tested the rudders thoroughly⁸, proving he could alter his course at will, make sharp turns and circle in a remarkably9

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1 goggles
n.护目镜
参考例句：
Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。 My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

2 nervously
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。 He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

3 attentive
adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的
参考例句：
She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。 The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

4 aviator
n.飞行家，飞行员
参考例句：
The young aviator bragged of his exploits in the sky.那名年轻的飞行员吹嘘他在空中飞行的英勇事迹。 Hundreds of admirers besieged the famous aviator.数百名爱慕者围困那个著名飞行员。

5 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。

6 elevation
n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高
参考例句：
The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。 His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

7 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

8 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

9 remarkably
ad.不同寻常地，相当地
参考例句：
I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。 He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

10 hitch
v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉
参考例句：
They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。 All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。

11 impulsively
adv.冲动地
参考例句：
She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前，感情冲动地吻了他。 Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。

12 exuberance
n.丰富；繁荣
参考例句：
Her burst of exuberance and her brightness overwhelmed me.她勃发的热情和阳光的性格征服了我。 The sheer exuberance of the sculpture was exhilarating.那尊雕塑表现出的勃勃生机让人振奋。

13 tightening
上紧，固定，紧密
参考例句：
Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。 It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

14 taut
adj.拉紧的，绷紧的，紧张的
参考例句：
The bowstring is stretched taut.弓弦绷得很紧。 Scarlett's taut nerves almost cracked as a sudden noise sounded in the underbrush near them. 思嘉紧张的神经几乎一下绷裂了，因为她听见附近灌木丛中突然冒出的一个声音。

15 glides
n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔
参考例句：
The new dance consists of a series of glides. 这种新舞蹈中有一连串的滑步。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The stately swan glides gracefully on the pond. 天鹅在池面上优美地游动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 smoothly
adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地
参考例句：
The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。 Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

17 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

18 frail
adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的
参考例句：
Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。 She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

19 musingly
adv.沉思地，冥想地
参考例句：

20 ribs
n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹
参考例句：
He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。 Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

21 ominous
adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的
参考例句：
Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。 There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

22 sneer
v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语
参考例句：
He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。 You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

23 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

24 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。

25 specifications
n.规格；载明；详述；（产品等的）说明书；说明书( specification的名词复数 )；详细的计划书；载明；详述
参考例句：
Our work must answer the specifications laid down. 我们的工作应符合所定的规范。 来自《简明英汉词典》 This sketch does not conform with the specifications. 图文不符。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

26 confidential
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。 We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

27 fads
n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 )
参考例句：
It was one of the many fads that sweep through mathematics regularly. 它是常见的贯穿在数学中的许多流行一时的风尚之一。 来自辞典例句 Lady Busshe is nothing without her flights, fads, and fancies. 除浮躁、时髦和幻想外，巴歇夫人一无所有。 来自辞典例句

28 infringement
n.违反；侵权
参考例句：
Infringement of this regulation would automatically rule you out of the championship.违背这一规则会被自动取消参加锦标赛的资格。 The committee ruled that the US ban constituted an infringement of free trade.委员会裁定美国的禁令对自由贸易构成了侵犯

29 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。

30 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。

31 infringing
v.违反（规章等）( infringe的现在分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）
参考例句：
The material can be copied without infringing copyright. 这份材料可以复制，不会侵犯版权。 The media is accused of infringing on people's privacy. 人们指责媒体侵犯了大家的隐私。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 puckered
v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱，像要哭了。 His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸，眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》

33 chauffeur
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车
参考例句：
The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。 She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

34 concocted
v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 )；调制；编造；捏造
参考例句：
The soup was concocted from up to a dozen different kinds of fish. 这种汤是用多达十几种不同的鱼熬制而成的。 Between them they concocted a letter. 他们共同策划写了一封信。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 lighting
n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光
参考例句：
The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。 The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

36 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。

37 onlooker
n.旁观者，观众
参考例句：
A handful of onlookers stand in the field watching.少数几个旁观者站在现场观看。 One onlooker had to be restrained by police.一个旁观者遭到了警察的制止。

38 juncture
n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头
参考例句：
The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。 It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。

39 peculiarities
n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪
参考例句：
the cultural peculiarities of the English 英国人的文化特点 He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another. 他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

40 promising
adj.有希望的，有前途的
参考例句：
The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。 We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

41 conspiracy
n.阴谋，密谋，共谋
参考例句：
The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。 He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

42 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

43 embarrassment
n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫
参考例句：
She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。 Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

44 famished
adj.饥饿的
参考例句：
When's lunch?I'm famished!什么时候吃午饭？我饿得要死了！ My feet are now killing me and I'm absolutely famished.我的脚现在筋疲力尽，我绝对是极饿了。

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