The officer's name was Salino, and he came around every year. He was portly, wore no gun or vest, no Mace¹ or nightstick, no flashlight or silver bullets, no handcuffs or radio, none of the mandatory² gadgetry³ that his brethren loved to affix⁴ to their belts and bodies. Salino looked bad in his uniform, but he'd been looking bad for so long that no one cared. He patrolled the southeast, the neighborhoods around Hemlock⁶, the affluent⁷ suburbs where the only crime was an occasional stolen bike or a speeding car.
Salino's partner for the evening was a beefy, lockjawed young lad with a roll of muscle bulging⁸ from the collar of his navy shirt. Treen was his name, and Treen wore every device and doohickey that Salino did not.
When Luther saw them through the blinds on his front door, standing⁹ there pressing his doorbell, he instantly thought of Frohmeyer. Frohmeyer could summon the police to Hemlock faster than the Chief himself.
He opened the door, made the obligatory¹⁰ hellos and good evenings, then asked them to step inside. He didn't want them inside, but he knew they would not leave until they completed the ritual. Treen was grasping a plain white tube that held the calendar.
Nora, who just seconds ago had been watching television with her husband, had suddenly vanished, though Luther knew she was just beyond the French doors, hiding in the kitchen, missing not a word.
Salino did all the talking. Luther figured this was because his hulking partner probably possessed¹¹ a limited vocabulary. The Police

点击收听单词发音  

1 mace
n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮
参考例句：
The sword and mace were favourite weapons for hand-to-hand fighting.剑和狼牙棒是肉搏战的最佳武器。 She put some mace into the meat.她往肉里加了一些肉豆蔻干皮。

2 mandatory
adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者
参考例句：
It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。 There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

3 gadgetry
n.小机械，小器具
参考例句：
His desk is covered with electronic gadgetry. 他的书桌上摆满了各种电子装置。 Then why not just take back all your fancy gadgetry? 那你怎么不把这堆玩意给我撤了？ 来自电影对白

4 affix
n.附件，附录 vt.附贴，盖(章)，签署
参考例句：
Please affix your signature to the document. 请你在这个文件上签字。 Complete the form and affix four tokens to its back. 填完该表，在背面贴上4张凭券。

5 hood
n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖
参考例句：
She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。 The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

6 hemlock
n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉
参考例句：
He was condemned to drink a cup of hemlock.判处他喝一杯毒汁。 Here is a beech by the side of a hemlock,with three pines at hand.这儿有株山毛榉和一株铁杉长在一起，旁边还有三株松树。

7 affluent
adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的
参考例句：
He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。 His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

8 bulging
膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱
参考例句：
Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。 Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

9 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。

10 obligatory
adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的
参考例句：
It is obligatory for us to obey the laws.我们必须守法。 It is obligatory on every citizen to safeguard our great motherland.保卫我们伟大的祖国是每一个公民应尽的义务。

11 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

12 benevolent
adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的
参考例句：
His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

13 throttle
n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压
参考例句：
These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。 High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

14 wards
区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态
参考例句：
This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。 It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

15 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

16 flipped
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥
参考例句：
The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。 The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

17 helping
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的
参考例句：
The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。 By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 stranded
a.搁浅的，进退两难的
参考例句：
He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。 I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

19 leopard
n.豹
参考例句：
I saw a man in a leopard skin yesterday.我昨天看见一个穿着豹皮的男人。 The leopard's skin is marked with black spots.豹皮上有黑色斑点。

20 succumbed
不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死
参考例句：
The town succumbed after a short siege. 该城被围困不久即告失守。 After an artillery bombardment lasting several days the town finally succumbed. 在持续炮轰数日后，该城终于屈服了。

21 veneer
n.(墙上的)饰面，虚饰
参考例句：
For the first time her veneer of politeness began to crack.她温文尔雅的外表第一次露出破绽。 The panel had a veneer of gold and ivory.这木板上面镶饰了一层金和象牙。

22 incensed
盛怒的
参考例句：
The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。 They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。

23 goodwill
n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉
参考例句：
His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。 We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

24 coerced
v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配
参考例句：
They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。 He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 bribe
n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通
参考例句：
He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。 He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

26 bribery
n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿
参考例句：
FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。 He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

27 bucks
n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句：
They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。 They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 puffed
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧
参考例句：
He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 smirk
n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说
参考例句：
He made no attempt to conceal his smirk.他毫不掩饰自鸣得意的笑容。 She had a selfsatisfied smirk on her face.她脸上带着自鸣得意的微笑。

30 grunt
v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝
参考例句：
He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。 I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

31 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

32 needy
adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的
参考例句：
Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。 They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

33 sanitation
n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备
参考例句：
The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。 Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

34 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

35 license
n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许
参考例句：
The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。 The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

36 ambush
n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击
参考例句：
Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。 Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

37 sneaking
a.秘密的，不公开的
参考例句：
She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。 She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

38 sarcastic
adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的
参考例句：
I squashed him with a sarcastic remark.我说了一句讽刺的话把他给镇住了。 She poked fun at people's shortcomings with sarcastic remarks.她冷嘲热讽地拿别人的缺点开玩笑。

39 sprawl
vi.躺卧，扩张，蔓延；vt.使蔓延；n.躺卧，蔓延
参考例句：
In our garden,bushes are allowed to sprawl as they will.在我们园子里，灌木丛爱怎么蔓延就怎么蔓延。 He is lying in a sprawl on the bed.他伸开四肢躺在床上。

40 rumors
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷
参考例句：
Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 jaws
n.口部；嘴
参考例句：
The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

42 clenched
v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。 She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

43 hawked
通过叫卖主动兜售（hawk的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大声同兜售货物的商贩讲价钱。 The peddler hawked his wares from door to door. 小贩挨户叫卖货物。

44 orphans
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。 Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

45 appease
v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足
参考例句：
He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。 The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

46 peeking
v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出
参考例句：
I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer. 我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。 They caught him peeking in through the keyhole. 他们发现他从钥匙孔里向里窥视。 来自辞典例句

47 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

48 erased
v.擦掉( erase的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；清除
参考例句：
He erased the wrong answer and wrote in the right one. 他擦去了错误答案，写上了正确答案。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He removed the dogmatism from politics; he erased the party line. 他根除了政治中的教条主义，消除了政党界限。 来自《简明英汉词典》

49 bland
adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的
参考例句：
He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。 This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

50 savored
v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝
参考例句：
We savored the barbed hits in his reply. 我们很欣赏他在回答中使用的带刺的俏皮话。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We savored, (the pleasures of) mountain life to the full. 我们充分体会了山居生活的乐趣。 来自辞典例句

51 pickup
n.拾起，获得
参考例句：
I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

52 thighs
n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿
参考例句：
He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

53 Buddhist
adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒
参考例句：
The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。 In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

54 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

55 choir
n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱
参考例句：
The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。 The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

56 stanza
n.（诗）节，段
参考例句：
We omitted to sing the second stanza.我们漏唱了第二节。 One young reporter wrote a review with a stanza that contained some offensive content.一个年轻的记者就歌词中包含有攻击性内容的一节写了评论。

57 darted
v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

58 spotted
adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的
参考例句：
The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。 Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

59 hissed
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对
参考例句：
Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？ The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

60 trespassing
[法]非法入侵
参考例句：
He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。 Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。

61 mused
v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）
参考例句：
\"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》 \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

62 clan
n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派
参考例句：
She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。 The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

63 spike
n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效
参考例句：
The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。 They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

64 commotion
n.骚动，动乱
参考例句：
They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。 Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

65 dropout
n.退学的学生；退学；退出者
参考例句：
There is a high dropout rate from some college courses.有些大学课程的退出率很高。 In the long haul,she'll regret having been a school dropout.她终归会后悔不该中途辍学。

66 jingle
n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵
参考例句：
The key fell on the ground with a jingle.钥匙叮当落地。 The knives and forks set up their regular jingle.刀叉发出常有的叮当声。

67 fumed
愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟
参考例句：
He fumed with rage because she did not appear. 因为她没出现，所以他大发雷霆。 He fumed and fretted and did not know what was the matter. 他烦躁，气恼，不知是怎么回事。

68 peeked
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出
参考例句：
She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》 On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句

69 shrieking
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 They were all shrieking with laughter. 他们都发出了尖锐的笑声。 来自《简明英汉词典》