NOW to return to Tom and Becky's share in the picnic. They tripped along the murky¹ aisles² with the rest of the company, visiting the familiar wonders of the cave -- wonders dubbed³ with rather over-descriptive names, such as "The Drawing-Room," "The Cathedral," "Aladdin's Palace," and so on. Presently the hide-and-seek frolicking began, and Tom and Becky engaged in it with zeal⁴ until the exertion⁵ began to grow a trifle wearisome; then they wandered down a sinuous⁶ avenue holding their candles aloft and reading the tangled⁷ web-work of names, dates, post-office addresses, and mottoes with which the rocky walls had been frescoed⁸ (in candle-smoke). Still drifting along and talking, they scarcely noticed that they were now in a part of the cave whose walls were not frescoed. They smoked their own names under an overhanging shelf and moved on. Presently they came to a place where a little stream of water, trickling⁹ over a ledge¹⁰ and carrying a limestone¹¹ sediment¹² with it, had, in the slow-dragging ages, formed a laced and ruffled¹³ Niagara in gleaming and imperishable stone. Tom squeezed his small body behind it in order to

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1 murky
adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗
参考例句：
She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。 She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

2 aisles
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊
参考例句：
Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。 They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

3 dubbed
v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制
参考例句：
Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。 Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 zeal
n.热心，热情，热忱
参考例句：
Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。 They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

5 exertion
n.尽力，努力
参考例句：
We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture.我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。 She was hot and breathless from the exertion of cycling uphill.由于用力骑车爬坡，她浑身发热。

6 sinuous
adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的
参考例句：
The river wound its sinuous way across the plain.这条河蜿蜒曲折地流过平原。 We moved along the sinuous gravel walks,with the great concourse of girls and boys.我们沿着曲折的石径,随着男孩女孩汇成的巨流一路走去。

7 tangled
adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。 A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

8 frescoed
壁画( fresco的名词复数 )； 温壁画技法，湿壁画
参考例句：
The Dunhuang frescoes are gems of ancient Chinese art. 敦煌壁画是我国古代艺术中的瑰宝。 The frescoes in these churches are magnificent. 这些教堂里的壁画富丽堂皇。

9 trickling
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》

10 ledge
n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁
参考例句：
They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。 Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

11 limestone
n.石灰石
参考例句：
Limestone is often used in building construction.石灰岩常用于建筑。 Cement is made from limestone.水泥是由石灰石制成的。

12 sediment
n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)
参考例句：
The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。 Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。

13 ruffled
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。 All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。

14 illuminate
vt.照亮，照明；用灯光装饰；说明，阐释
参考例句：
Dreams kindle a flame to illuminate our dark roads.梦想点燃火炬照亮我们黑暗的道路。 They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.他们用游戏和图画来阐明他们的主题。

15 spacious
adj.广阔的，宽敞的
参考例句：
Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。 The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

16 cavern
n.洞穴，大山洞
参考例句：
The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。 It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

17 circumference
n.圆周，周长，圆周线
参考例句：
It's a mile round the circumference of the field.运动场周长一英里。 The diameter and the circumference of a circle correlate.圆的直径与圆周有相互关系。

18 squeaking
v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者
参考例句：
Squeaking floorboards should be screwed down. 踏上去咯咯作响的地板应用螺钉钉住。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Can you hear the mice squeaking? 你听到老鼠吱吱叫吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 darting
v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

20 fugitives
n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

21 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

22 perilous
adj.危险的，冒险的
参考例句：
The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。 We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

23 subterranean
adj.地下的，地表下的
参考例句：
London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。 We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

24 apprehensive
adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的
参考例句：
She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。 He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

25 crookedness
[医]弯曲
参考例句：
She resolutely refused to believe that her father was in any way connected with any crookedness. 她坚决拒绝相信她父亲与邪魔歪道早有任何方面的关联。 The crookedness of the stairway make it hard for the child to get up. 弯曲的楼梯使小孩上楼困难。

26 shuddered
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
参考例句：
He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

28 diverging
分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳
参考例句：
Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 With member-country bond yields now diverging, 'it's a fragmented set of markets. 但随着成员国债券收益率之差扩大，市场已经分割开来。

29 random
adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。 On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

30 anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。 The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

31 conspicuous
adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的
参考例句：
It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显，抽烟对健康有害。 Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。

32 hush
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！

33 ripple
n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进
参考例句：
The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。 The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

34 horrid
adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的
参考例句：
I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。 The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。

35 chillier
adj.寒冷的，冷得难受的( chilly的比较级 )
参考例句：
Something colder and chillier confronted him. 他正面临着某种更加寒冷、更加凄凉的东西。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

36 frenzy
n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动
参考例句：
He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。 They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

37 appalled
v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的
参考例句：
The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。 They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

38 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

39 jeering
adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Hecklers interrupted her speech with jeering. 捣乱分子以嘲笑打断了她的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He interrupted my speech with jeering. 他以嘲笑打断了我的讲话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

40 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

41 economize
v.节约，节省
参考例句：
We're going to have to economize from now on. 从现在开始，我们不得不节约开支。 We have to economize on water during the dry season. 我们在旱季不得不节约用水。

42 fatigue
n.疲劳，劳累
参考例句：
The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。 I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

43 frail
adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的
参考例句：
Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。 She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

44 sarcasms
n.讥讽，讽刺，挖苦( sarcasm的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Bertha frowned, finding it difficult to repress the sarcasms that rose to her lips. 伯莎皱起眉头，她觉得要把溜到嘴边的挖苦话咽下去是件难事。 来自辞典例句 But as a general rule Bertha checked the sarcasms that constantly rose to her tongue. 然而总的说来，伯莎堵住不断涌到她嘴边的冷嘲热讽。 来自辞典例句

45 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

46 groan
vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音
参考例句：
The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。 The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

47 dissent
n./v.不同意，持异议
参考例句：
It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。 He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

48 nibbled
v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬
参考例句：
She nibbled daintily at her cake. 她优雅地一点一点地吃着自己的蛋糕。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Several companies have nibbled at our offer. 若干公司表示对我们的出价有兴趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 moiety
n.一半；部分
参考例句：
The primary structure of globin moiety is determined by the plant genome.球蛋白一半的最初构造决定于植物的染色体组。 The development moiety which is released upon heating is usually a mercaptan.经加热释放出的显影抑制剂的部分通常是硫醇

50 thatcher
n.茅屋匠
参考例句：
Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险 Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

51 reigned
vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）
参考例句：
Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

52 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

53 mighty
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。 The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

54 stupor
v.昏迷；不省人事
参考例句：
As the whisky took effect, he gradually fell into a drunken stupor.随着威士忌酒力发作，他逐渐醉得不省人事。 The noise of someone banging at the door roused her from her stupor.梆梆的敲门声把她从昏迷中唤醒了。

55 miseries
n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人
参考例句：
They forgot all their fears and all their miseries in an instant. 他们马上忘记了一切恐惧和痛苦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 I'm suffering the miseries of unemployment. 我正为失业而痛苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

56 hideously
adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地
参考例句：
The witch was hideously ugly. 那个女巫丑得吓人。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Pitt's smile returned, and it was hideously diabolic. 皮特的脸上重新浮现出笑容，但却狰狞可怕。 来自辞典例句

57 torment
n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠
参考例句：
He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。 Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

58 morsel
n.一口，一点点
参考例句：
He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。 The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。

59 whetted
v.（在石头上）磨（刀、斧等）( whet的过去式和过去分词 )；引起，刺激（食欲、欲望、兴趣等）
参考例句：
The little chicks had no more than whetted his appetite. 那几只小鸡只引起了他的胃口。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命 The poor morsel of food only whetted desire. 那块小的可怜的喜糕反而激起了他们的食欲。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

60 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

61 pitfalls
（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误
参考例句：
the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套 Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。

62 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

63 whooped
叫喊( whoop的过去式和过去分词 )； 高声说； 唤起
参考例句：
The bill whooped through both houses. 此提案在一片支持的欢呼声中由两院匆匆通过。 The captive was whooped and jeered. 俘虏被叱责讥笑。

64 hoarse
adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的
参考例句：
He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。 He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

65 famished
adj.饥饿的
参考例句：
When's lunch?I'm famished!什么时候吃午饭？我饿得要死了！ My feet are now killing me and I'm absolutely famished.我的脚现在筋疲力尽，我绝对是极饿了。

66 projection
n.发射，计划，突出部分
参考例句：
Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。 The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

67 tempt
vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣
参考例句：
Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。 The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

68 dreary
adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的
参考例句：
They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。 She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

69 apathy
n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡
参考例句：
He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。 She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。

70 implored
恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。 She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。

71 distressed
痛苦的
参考例句：
He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。 The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

72 doom
n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定
参考例句：
The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。 The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。