“I shall have something to tell you in the
orchard1 this evening,” said the Story Girl at breakfast one morning. Her eyes were very bright and excited. She looked as if she had not slept a great deal. She had spent the previous evening with Miss Reade and had not returned until the rest of us were in bed. Miss Reade had finished giving music lessons and was going home in a few days. Cecily and Felicity were in despair over this and mourned as those without comfort. But the Story Girl, who had been even more
devoted2 to Miss Reade than either of them, had not, as I noticed, expressed any regret and seemed to be very cheerful over the whole matter.
“Why can’t you tell it now?” asked Felicity.
“Because the evening is the nicest time to tell things in. I only mentioned it now so that you would have something interesting to look forward to all day.”
“Is it about Miss Reade?” asked Cecily.
“Never mind.”
“I’ll bet she’s going to be married,” I exclaimed, remembering the ring.
“Is she?” cried Felicity and Cecily together.
The Story Girl threw an annoyed glance at me. She did not like to have her dramatic announcements
forestalled3.
“I don’t say that it is about Miss Reade or that it isn’t. You must just wait till the evening.”
“I wonder what it is,” speculated Cecily, as the Story Girl left the room.
“I don’t believe it’s much of anything,” said Felicity, beginning to clear away the breakfast dishes. “The Story Girl always likes to make so much out of so little. Anyhow, I don’t believe Miss Reade is going to be married. She hasn’t any beaus around here and Mrs. Armstrong says she’s sure she doesn’t correspond with anybody. Besides, if she was she wouldn’t be likely to tell the Story Girl.”
“Oh, she might. They’re such friends, you know,” said Cecily.
“Miss Reade is no better friends with her than she is with me and you,” retorted Felicity.
“No, but sometimes it seems to me that she’s a different kind of friend with the Story Girl than she is with me and you,” reflected Cecily. “I can’t just explain what I mean.”
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收听单词发音
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1
orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 |
参考例句： |
- My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
- Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
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2
devoted
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| 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。
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3
forestalled
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- She forestalled their attempt. 她先发制人，阻止了他们的企图。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I had my objection all prepared, but Stephens forestalled me. 我已做好准备要提出反对意见，不料斯蒂芬斯却抢先了一步。 来自辞典例句
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4
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 |
参考例句： |
- When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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5
ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 |
参考例句： |
- The corn is blossoming [ripening]. 玉米正在开花[成熟]。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- When the summer crop is ripening, the autumn crop has to be sowed. 夏季作物成熟时，就得播种秋季作物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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6
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
- A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。
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7
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 |
参考例句： |
- With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
- He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。
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8
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 |
参考例句： |
- All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
- He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
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9
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 |
参考例句： |
- He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
- Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。
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10
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 |
参考例句： |
- She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
- People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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spunk
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| n.勇气，胆量 |
参考例句： |
- After his death,the soldier was cited for spunk.那位士兵死后因作战勇敢而受到表彰。
- I admired her independence and her spunk.我敬佩她的独立精神和勇气。
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12
pettishly
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参考例句： |
- \"Oh, no,'she said, almost pettishly, \"I just don't feel very good.\" “哦，不是，\"她说，几乎想发火了，\"我只是觉得不大好受。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
- Then he tossed the marble away pettishly, and stood cogitating. 于是他一气之下扔掉那个弹子，站在那儿沉思。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
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13
hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 |
参考例句： |
- He became a hermit after he was dismissed from office.他被解职后成了隐士。
- Chinese ancient landscape poetry was in natural connections with hermit culture.中国古代山水诗与隐士文化有着天然联系。
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14
perfectly
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| 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。
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milestone
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| n.里程碑；划时代的事件 |
参考例句： |
- The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
- I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- I marvelled that he suddenly left college. 我对他突然离开大学感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I marvelled at your boldness. 我对你的大胆感到惊奇。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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17
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 |
参考例句： |
- If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
- Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 |
参考例句： |
- Your speculations were all quite close to the truth. 你的揣测都很接近于事实。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- This possibility gives rise to interesting speculations. 这种可能性引起了有趣的推测。 来自《用法词典》
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19
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 |
参考例句： |
- He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
- He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
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20
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
- She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
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21
disapproving
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| adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- Mother gave me a disapproving look. 母亲的眼神告诉我她是不赞成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Her father threw a disapproving glance at her. 她父亲不满地瞥了她一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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22
vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 |
参考例句： |
- He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
- Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
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insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 |
参考例句： |
- The article insinuated that he was having an affair with his friend's wife. 文章含沙射影地点出他和朋友的妻子有染。
- She cleverly insinuated herself into his family. 她巧妙地混进了他的家庭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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