There was great excitement in the duck pen. And the reason for it was that Lulu and Alice were going to have a party. It was the first party they had ever had, and it was on their birthday. You see, it was this way: Lulu and Alice both had the same birthday; that is, they, were twins. Jimmie was a day older than they were, and he wasn't a twin. There, now I've explained it all to you, and I'll get on with the story.
Well, Mamma Wibblewobble arranged for the party. She did all the baking and got the ice cream ready and made the pies and
tarts1, and Alice and Lulu sent out the invitations. They were written on nice little pieces of white birch bark that Johnnie and Billie Bushytail
gnawed2 off the trees for the little duck girls.
Of course, Johnnie and Billie were invited, and so was Sammie Littletail, and Susie and Sister Sallie, and Mr. and Mrs. Bushytail, and Mr. and Mrs. Littletail, and Uncle Wiggily Longears, and Nurse Jane Fuzzy-Wuzzy, and Grandfather Goosey-Gander, and
Bully3, the frog, and the goldfish, and, let me see, who else? Oh, of course, the fairy prince. Alice would not have had him left out for anything.
Alice and Lulu had their best hair ribbons on and their new dresses, and were all dressed up for the party nearly an hour before it was time. Jimmie got ready, too. That is, he put on a clean collar and a new, red necktie, and he looked very nice. But he really didn't care much about the party. He said he and the boys would go off by themselves and talk about baseball.
"No," said his mother, "you must not do that. I want you and the boys to entertain the little girls. Be nice, now, Jimmie."
So Jimmie said he would, and pretty soon the company began to come. Bully, the frog,
hopped4 along first, and right after him came Grandfather Goosey-Gander, and, would you believe me, he never said a word about Jimmie breaking his window that time.
"We are very glad to see you," said Alice and Lulu, as they stood at the front door to receive their friends. Aunt Lettie, the nice old lady goat, was also there, and as the guests came up, she called out:
"Now, girls, walk right in the bedroom and put your things on the bed. You boys take your things in Jimmie's room." Oh, it was a real party, let me tell you.
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收听单词发音
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1
tarts
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| n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 )；轻佻的女人；妓女；小妞 |
参考例句： |
- I decided to make some tarts for tea. 我决定做些吃茶点时吃的果馅饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- They ate raspberry tarts and ice cream. 大家吃着木莓馅饼和冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句
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2
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 |
参考例句： |
- His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
- The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。
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3
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 |
参考例句： |
- A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
- The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
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4
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 |
参考例句： |
- He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
- He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。
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5
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 |
参考例句： |
- The damp weather plays the very devil with my rheumatism.潮湿的天气加重了我的风湿病。
- The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
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6
forfeits
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| 罚物游戏 |
参考例句： |
- She regretted the forfeits she had to pay for selfassistance. 她为自己为了自助而必须付出的代价感到遗憾。
- They were soon to pay their own forfeits. 他们很快就得交纳他们的罚款了。
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7
spoke
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| 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。
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8
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 |
参考例句： |
- A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
- Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！
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9
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 |
参考例句： |
- We have to make a small charge for refreshments. 我们得收取少量茶点费。
- Light refreshments will be served during the break. 中间休息时有点心供应。
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10
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 |
参考例句： |
- Maple sugar is made from the sap of maple trees.枫糖是由枫树的树液制成的。
- The maple leaves are tinge with autumn red.枫叶染上了秋天的红色。
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11
crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 |
参考例句： |
- Her religion was a crutch to her when John died.约翰死后，她在精神上依靠宗教信仰支撑住自己。
- He uses his wife as a kind of crutch because of his lack of confidence.他缺乏自信心，总把妻子当作主心骨。
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12
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 |
参考例句： |
- He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
- The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。
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13
plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 |
参考例句： |
- Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
- He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。
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14
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 |
参考例句： |
- The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
- Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。
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15
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 |
参考例句： |
- A wreath was laid on the monument to a fanfare of trumpets. 在响亮的号角声中花圈被献在纪念碑前。
- A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。
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