“There goes the Red Arrow!” said Ned,
standing1 beside Tom in the control cabin as the Air
Monarch2 mounted the air and they could look down on the earth. “He made good time!”
“I’ll say he did,” agreed Tom, who was turning on a little more power, now that his craft was in the air. “Some bus he’s got there, too!”
The Red Arrow hydroplane was, in truth, a craft not to be despised. Kilborn had left the starting field in a swift
automobile3. He had given orders that the motors of his hydroplane were to be kept turning over so that he could get aboard and start at once. This he had done, and, as she was
moored4 not far from the aero field, had taken the air only a little behind Tom Swift.
“There goes the dirigible—I mean Modby’s,” went on Ned, who was viewing the start of the other
contestants5 while Tom attended to the running of his machine.
“He must have had some trouble with his motors,” the inventor stated.
“He did,” agreed Ned. “He’s a bit late in starting. Well, I wish Modby all sorts of luck, but I’m afraid he hasn’t much of a chance.”
Professor Modby was considered a friendly rival, for he and Tom had been associated in aeroplane research on several occasions. The Cloud, as the big dirigible had been named, was now soaring into the air, but her speed was as nothing compared to that of the Air Monarch. Ned noticed, however, that the Red Arrow was a very fast machine, and she might prove a dangerous rival, for she was not as heavy as Tom’s craft.
“But this is only the beginning,” murmured the young inventor, as he noticed how the Red Arrow was picking up speed. “We’ve got to go twenty days yet—more or less,” he added, with a grim smile.
Bob Denman, the millionaire sport, had started from the flying field in a rush in one of his high-powered cars. He was off to catch a special train that would hurry him across the United States. He said he would take a special steamer in San Francisco, cross the Pacific, and then, by means of other special trains and boats, endeavor to come in ahead of everybody else.
点击

收听单词发音
1
standing
|
|
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 |
参考例句: |
- After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
- They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
|
2
monarch
|
|
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 |
参考例句: |
- The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
- I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。
|
3
automobile
|
|
n.汽车,机动车 |
参考例句: |
- He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
- The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
|
4
moored
|
|
adj. 系泊的
动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 |
参考例句: |
- The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
- We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨,把船泊在岸边。
|
5
contestants
|
|
n.竞争者,参赛者( contestant的名词复数 ) |
参考例句: |
- The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
- Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
6
adverse
|
|
adj.不利的;有害的;敌对的,不友好的 |
参考例句: |
- He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
- The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。
|
7
entangled
|
|
adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句: |
- The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。
- Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
|
8
clump
|
|
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 |
参考例句: |
- A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
- It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。
|
9
Mediterranean
|
|
adj.地中海的;地中海沿岸的 |
参考例句: |
- The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
- Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。
|
10
linguistic
|
|
adj.语言的,语言学的 |
参考例句: |
- She is pursuing her linguistic researches.她在从事语言学的研究。
- The ability to write is a supreme test of linguistic competence.写作能力是对语言能力的最高形式的测试。
|
11
pointed
|
|
adj.尖的,直截了当的 |
参考例句: |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
|
12
latitude
|
|
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 |
参考例句: |
- The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
- The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。
|
13
breakdown
|
|
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌 |
参考例句: |
- She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
- The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障,但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
|
14
hop
|
|
n.单脚跳,跳跃;vi.单脚跳,跳跃;着手做某事;vt.跳跃,跃过 |
参考例句: |
- The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛,看谁单足跳跃最快。
- How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远?
|
15
indicators
|
|
(仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的)指针( indicator的名词复数 ); 指示物; (车辆上的)转弯指示灯; 指示信号 |
参考例句: |
- The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
- It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。
|
16
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。
|
17
compartment
|
|
n.卧车包房,隔间;分隔的空间 |
参考例句: |
- We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴,整个客车隔间由我们独享。
- The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。
|
18
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。
|