Typhoon in itself has a sinister¹ sound, and when, coupled with that, was the knowledge of what such a storm was capable of doing, it is no wonder that there were anxious hearts aboard the Air Monarch².

 

“What’s the matter?” asked Ned of his chum, as he realized that Tom was not going to be able to do as he hoped and send the craft up into a calm area above the outburst.

 

“I don’t quite know,” was the answer. “It’s just as if we were being pulled or pushed down.”

 

“If we land in that sea—well——” Ned did not finish, but Tom knew what his chum meant. If it was bad in the air it was worse on the water.

 

A typhoon is a hurricane of the worst sort, this particular name for violent wind and sea disturbances³ being common to China and Japan where these storms rage from May to November, being at their worst in the summer months. Tom and his party had arrived just at the very height of the stormy season, and were now in the grip of a typhoon of the most dangerous character.

 

“Our only chance is to fight it!” cried Tom, while he aided Peltok in handling the wheel. “Once we are forced down, we’ll be swamped.”

 

The craft was built to navigate⁴ on water, it is true, but not amid big waves and swells⁵ kicked up by a hurricane. Yet it might chance that Tom would have to battle with the elements of water as well as those of the air.

 

For a time it seemed that the typhoon would conquer and force the machine down. At first Tom thought something had gone wrong with the machinery⁶, so reluctant was his ship to respond to the controls. But when he looked at the wind gage⁷ near the front window and noted

首页  上一页 [1] [2]  [3]  下一页  尾页

点击收听单词发音  

1 sinister
adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的
参考例句：
There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。 Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

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 disturbances
n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍
参考例句：
The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。 Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

4 navigate
v.航行，飞行；导航，领航
参考例句：
He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。 Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

5 swells
增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）
参考例句：
The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。 A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。

6 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。

7 gage
n.标准尺寸，规格；量规，量表 [=gauge]
参考例句：
Can you gage what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？ It's difficult to gage one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

8 noted
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。 Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 hovering
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。 I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

10 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

11 stationary
adj.固定的，静止不动的
参考例句：
A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。 Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。

12 gale
n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）
参考例句：
We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。 According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

13 disastrous
adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的
参考例句：
The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。 Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

14 wreck
n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难
参考例句：
Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。 No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

15 exulted
狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The people exulted at the victory. 人们因胜利而欢腾。 The people all over the country exulted in the success in launching a new satellite. 全国人民为成功地发射了一颗新的人造卫星而欢欣鼓舞。

16 indicator
n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器
参考例句：
Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。 His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

17 perilously
adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地
参考例句：
They were perilously close to the edge of the precipice. 他们离悬崖边很近，十分危险。 来自《简明英汉词典》 It'seemed to me that we had come perilously close to failure already. 对我来说，好像失败和我只有一步之遥，岌岌可危。 来自互联网

18 crests
v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点
参考例句：
The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了，他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句

19 confided
v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）
参考例句：
She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。 He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 lashing
n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥
参考例句：
The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 overhauling
n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越
参考例句：
I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句 Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

22 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。

23 swarming
密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去
参考例句：
The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 The beach is swarming with bathers. 海滩满是海水浴的人。

24 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

25 warriors
武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )
参考例句：
I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。 The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

26 hideous
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。 They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

27 savages
未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 )
参考例句：
There're some savages living in the forest. 森林里居住着一些野人。 That's an island inhabited by savages. 那是一个野蛮人居住的岛屿。