The winter passed and the spring came. Up in the middle of the willow-tree's top peeped a little green
sprout1.
"Hullo, who are you?" asked the willow-tree.
"I'm just a little dandelion," said the sprout. "I was in mother's head, with a heap of brothers and sisters. Each of us had a little parachute. 'Fly away now, darlings,' said mother. 'The farther away you go, the better. I can do no more for you than I have done; and I won't deny that I am a little concerned about all the children that I have brought into the world. But that can't be helped either; and I hope you will find a spot where an honest dandelion can shift for herself.'"
"Yes, that's just how a little flower-mother talks," said the wild rose-bush.
"What then?" asked the willow-tree.
"Then there came a
gust2 of wind," said the dandelion. "We all flew up into the air together, carried by our parachutes. What became of the others I have no idea; but I remember it began to rain and then I was flung down here. Of course, I thought that, when I had dried, I could fly on again. But not a bit of it, for my parachute was smashed. So I had to stay where I was. To my great surprise, I saw that I was lying on earth. Gradually more earth came, in which I lay hidden all the winter; and now I have
sprouted3. That's the whole story."
"It's quite a romance," said the wild rose-bush.
"Very likely," said the dandelion. "But what's going to happen to me in the future? Honestly speaking, I would give a good deal to be down in the earth again."
"I'll do all I can for you," said the willow-tree. "I have known adversity myself; and it is a great honour and pleasure for me to have you growing in my poor head."
"Very many thanks for your kindness," said the dandelion. "There's really not so much of it in the world that one shouldn't appreciate it when one meets with it. But, when all is said and done, it's ability that tells; and I fear that's where the shoe pinches."
"I know what you're thinking of," said the willow-tree, sadly. "I can't shade you, since the keeper cut off my nice crown. My long branches up there are all very well and I wouldn't be without them for anything, but they don't give any shade worth talking about and I shall never get another crown, that's quite clear. So you're afraid that the sun will shine too strong on you?"
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收听单词发音
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1
sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 |
参考例句： |
- When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
- It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。
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2
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 |
参考例句： |
- A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
- A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。
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3
sprouted
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| v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 |
参考例句： |
- We can't use these potatoes; they've all sprouted. 这些土豆儿不能吃了，都出芽了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The rice seeds have sprouted. 稻种已经出芽了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
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4
brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 |
参考例句： |
- He's a spoilt brat.他是一个被宠坏了的调皮孩子。
- The brat sicked his dog on the passer-by.那个顽童纵狗去咬过路人。
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5
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 |
参考例句： |
- He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
- The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
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6
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 |
参考例句： |
- That new factory is a blot on the landscape.那新建的工厂破坏了此地的景色。
- The crime he committed is a blot on his record.他犯的罪是他的履历中的一个污点。
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7
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 |
参考例句： |
- I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
- The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。
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8
folly
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| 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。
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9
strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 |
参考例句： |
- The circulation economy development needs the green science and technology innovation as the strut.循环经济的发展需要绿色科技创新生态化作为支撑。
- Now we'll strut arm and arm.这会儿咱们可以手挽着手儿，高视阔步地走了。
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10
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 |
参考例句： |
- She held her head erect and her back straight.她昂着头，把背挺得笔直。
- Soldiers are trained to stand erect.士兵们训练站得笔直。
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11
puddle
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| n.(雨)水坑，泥潭 |
参考例句： |
- The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
- She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。
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12
mouldering
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| v.腐朽( moulder的现在分词 )；腐烂，崩塌 |
参考例句： |
- The room smelt of disuse and mouldering books. 房间里有一股长期不用和霉烂书籍的味道。
- Every mouldering stone was a chronicle. 每块崩碎剥落的石头都是一部编年史。 来自辞典例句
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13
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 |
参考例句： |
- He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
- The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
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14
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
- Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
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15
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的
动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 |
参考例句： |
- The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
- The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 |
参考例句： |
- She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
- The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
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beak
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| n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻 |
参考例句： |
- The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
- This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。
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rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声
adj. 隆隆响的
动词rumble的现在分词 |
参考例句： |
- The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
- The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。
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19
gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 |
参考例句： |
- The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
- These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。
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20
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 |
参考例句： |
- Tears were trickling down her cheeks. 眼泪顺着她的面颊流了下来。
- The engine was trickling oil. 发动机在滴油。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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21
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 |
参考例句： |
- The stadium was a seething cauldron of emotion. 体育场内群情沸腾。
- The meeting hall was seething at once. 会场上顿时沸腾起来了。
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22
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 |
参考例句： |
- All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
- He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。
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23
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 |
参考例句： |
- You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
- People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。
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24
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 |
参考例句： |
- Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
- I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
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owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
- The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句
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