"No, those fellows had all the excitement," declared Ned. "We had the fun." And the two lads proceeded to relate what had taken place.

 

"Tried to damage the airship, eh?" asked Mr. Sharp. "I wish I'd caught them at it; the scoundrels! But perhaps you handled them as well as I could have done."

 

"I guess so," assented¹ Tom. "I must see if they did cut any of the wires."

 

But the young inventor and his chum had acted too quickly, and it was found that nothing had been done to the Red Cloud.

 

A little later the airship was taken out of the shed, and made ready for a trip. The gas ascension was first used, and Ned and Mr. Swift were passengers with Tom and Mr. Sharp. The machine went about a thousand feet up in the air, and then was sent in various directions, to the no small delight of a large crowd that gathered in the meadow back of the Swift property; for it only required the sight of the airship looming² its bulk above the fence and buildings, to attract a throng³. It is safe to say this time, however, that Andy Foger and his cronies were not in the audience. They were probably too busy removing the soot⁴ and red paint.

 

Although it was the first time Mr. Swift had ever been in an airship, he evinced no great astonishment⁵. In fact he seemed to be thinking deeply, and on some subject not connected with aeronautics⁶. Tom noticed the abstraction of his father, and shook his head. Clearly the aged⁷ inventor was not his usual self.

 

As for Ned Newton his delight knew no bounds, At first he was a bit apprehensive

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1 assented
同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。 "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

2 looming
n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近
参考例句：
The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

3 throng
n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集
参考例句：
A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。 The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

4 soot
n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟
参考例句：
Soot is the product of the imperfect combustion of fuel.煤烟是燃料不完全燃烧的产物。 The chimney was choked with soot.烟囱被煤灰堵塞了。

5 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

6 aeronautics
n.航空术，航空学
参考例句：
National Aeronautics and Space undertakings have made great progress.国家的航空航天事业有了很大的发展。 He devoted every spare moment to aeronautics.他把他所有多余的时间用在航空学上。

7 aged
adj.年老的，陈年的
参考例句：
He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。 He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

8 apprehensive
adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的
参考例句：
She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。 He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

9 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。

10 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。

11 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。

12 propellers
n.螺旋桨，推进器( propeller的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The water was thrashing and churning about under the propellers. 水在螺旋桨下面打旋、翻滚。 来自辞典例句 The ship's propellers churned the waves to foam. 轮船的推进器将海浪搅出泡沫。 来自辞典例句

13 aluminum
n.(aluminium)铝
参考例句：
The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。 During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

14 momentum
n.动力，冲力，势头；动量
参考例句：
We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。 The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

15 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。

16 slanting
倾斜的，歪斜的
参考例句：
The rain is driving [slanting] in from the south. 南边潲雨。 The line is slanting to the left. 这根线向左斜了。

17 darting
v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

18 vapor
n.蒸汽，雾气
参考例句：
The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。 This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

19 demonstration
n.表明，示范，论证，示威
参考例句：
His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。 He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

20 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

21 plucky
adj.勇敢的
参考例句：
The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。 This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。

22 carnival
n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演
参考例句：
I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。 Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

23 puff
n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气
参考例句：
He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。 They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

24 swerve
v.突然转向，背离；n．转向，弯曲，背离
参考例句：
Nothing will swerve him from his aims.什么也不能使他改变目标。 Her car swerved off the road into a 6ft high brick wall.她的车突然转向冲出了马路，撞向6英尺高的一面砖墙。

25 fussy
adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的
参考例句：
He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。 The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

26 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。

27 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

28 racing
n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的
参考例句：
I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。 The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

29 groomed
v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗
参考例句：
She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。 Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练，准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 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。

31 perfectly
adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地
参考例句：
The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。 Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

32 rouge
n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红
参考例句：
Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。 She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

33 presto
adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的
参考例句：
With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上，你想挥动一下指挥棒，转眼就变过来,办不到！ I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧，嘿，那门就开了。

34 impromptu
adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)
参考例句：
The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。 The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

35 undoing
n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭
参考例句：
That one mistake was his undoing. 他一失足即成千古恨。 This hard attitude may have led to his undoing. 可能就是这种强硬的态度导致了他的垮台。

36 gaily
adv.欢乐地，高兴地
参考例句：
The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。 She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

37 implored
恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。 She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。

38 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》

39 lighter
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。 The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

40 feat
n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的
参考例句：
Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。 He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

41 descend
vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降
参考例句：
I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。 We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

42 chagrin
n.懊恼；气愤；委屈
参考例句：
His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。 Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

43 margin
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。 The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

44 feats
功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。 His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。