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Fremont, California. 1980s
Baba loved the idea of America.
It was living in America that gave him an ulcer1.
I remember the two of us walking through Lake Elizabeth Park in Fremont, a few streets down from our apartment, and watching boys at batting practice, little girls giggling2 on the swings in the playground. Baba would enlighten me with his politics during those walks with long-winded dissertations3. "There are only three real men in this world, Amir,?he'd say. He'd count them off on his fingers: America the brash savior, Britain, and Israel. "The rest of them--?he used to wave his hand and make a phht sound ?-they're like gossiping old women.?
The bit about Israel used to draw the ire of Afghans in Fremont who accused him of being pro-Jewish and, de facto, anti Islam. Baba would meet them for tea and rowt cake at the park, drive them crazy with his politics. "What they don't understand,?he'd tell me later, "is that religion has nothing to do with it.?In Baba's view, Israel was an island of "real men?in a sea of Arabs too busy getting fat off their oil to care for their own. "Israel does this, Israel does that,?Baba would say in a mock-Arabic accent. "Then do something about it! Take action. You're Arabs, help the Palestinians, then!?
He loathed4 Jimmy Carter, whom he called a "big-toothed cretin.?In 1980, when we were still in Kabul, the U.S. announced it would be boycotting5 the Olympic games in Moscow. "Wah wah!?Baba exclaimed with disgust. "Brezhnev is massacring Afghans and all that peanut eater can say is I won't come swim in your pool.?Baba believed Carter had unwittingly done more for communism than Leonid Brezhnev. "He's not fit to run this country. It's like putting a boy who can't ride a bike behind the wheel of a brand new Cadillac.?What America and the world needed was a hard man. A man to be reckoned with, someone who took action instead of wringing6 his hands. That someone came in the form of Ronald Reagan. And when Reagan went on TV and called the Shorawi "the Evil Empire,?Baba went out and bought a picture of the grinning president giving a thumbs up. He framed the picture and hung it in our hallway, nailing it right next to the old black-and-white of himself in his thin necktie shaking hands with King Zahir Shah. Most of our neighbors in Fremont were bus drivers, policemen, gas station attendants, and unwed mothers collecting welfare, exactly the sort of blue-collar people who would soon

1
ulcer
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n.溃疡,腐坏物 | |
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2
giggling
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v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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3
dissertations
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专题论文,学位论文( dissertation的名词复数 ) | |
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4
loathed
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v.憎恨,厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 );极不喜欢 | |
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5
boycotting
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抵制,拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 ) | |
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wringing
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淋湿的,湿透的 | |
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suffocate
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vt.使窒息,使缺氧,阻碍;vi.窒息,窒息而亡,阻碍发展 | |
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lone
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adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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pollen
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n.[植]花粉 | |
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enroll
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v.招收;登记;入学;参军;成为会员(英)enrol | |
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scoffed
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嘲笑,嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grumble
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vi.抱怨;咕哝;n.抱怨,牢骚;咕哝,隆隆声 | |
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paperbacks
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n.平装本,平装书( paperback的名词复数 ) | |
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shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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hip
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n.臀部,髋;屋脊 | |
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scowl
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vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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flipping
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讨厌之极的 | |
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ashen
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adj.灰的 | |
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shards
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n.(玻璃、金属或其他硬物的)尖利的碎片( shard的名词复数 ) | |
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license
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n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许 | |
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21
bellowed
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v.发出吼叫声,咆哮(尤指因痛苦)( bellow的过去式和过去分词 );(愤怒地)说出(某事),大叫 | |
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cane
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n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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poking
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n. 刺,戳,袋 vt. 拨开,刺,戳 vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢 | |
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maker
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n.制造者,制造商 | |
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notch
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n.(V字形)槽口,缺口,等级 | |
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notches
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n.(边缘或表面上的)V型痕迹( notch的名词复数 );刻痕;水平;等级 | |
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stew
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n.炖汤,焖,烦恼;v.炖汤,焖,忧虑 | |
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knuckles
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n.(指人)指关节( knuckle的名词复数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝v.(指人)指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 );(指动物)膝关节,踝 | |
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widower
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n.鳏夫 | |
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bustling
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adj.喧闹的 | |
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aisles
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n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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aisle
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n.(教堂、教室、戏院等里的)过道,通道 | |
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isle
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n.小岛,岛 | |
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bazaar
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n.集市,商店集中区 | |
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inevitably
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adv.不可避免地;必然发生地 | |
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brew
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v.酿造,调制 | |
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winced
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赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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calloused
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adj.粗糙的,粗硬的,起老茧的v.(使)硬结,(使)起茧( callous的过去式和过去分词 );(使)冷酷无情 | |
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drawn
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v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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fluorescent
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adj.荧光的,发出荧光的 | |
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fatigue
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n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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eligibility
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n.合格,资格 | |
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prank
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n.开玩笑,恶作剧;v.装饰;打扮;炫耀自己 | |
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alleviated
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减轻,缓解,缓和( alleviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tumor
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n.(肿)瘤,肿块(英)tumour | |
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swarm
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n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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dangling
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悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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squealing
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v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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briefly
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adv.简单地,简短地 | |
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smoldering
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v.用文火焖烧,熏烧,慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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acrid
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adj.辛辣的,尖刻的,刻薄的 | |
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permeated
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弥漫( permeate的过去式和过去分词 ); 遍布; 渗入; 渗透 | |
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hovering
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鸟( hover的现在分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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swirling
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v.旋转,打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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gulps
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n.一大口(尤指液体)( gulp的名词复数 )v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的第三人称单数 );大口地吸(气);哽住 | |
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56
scotch
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n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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pitcher
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n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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salute
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vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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pitchers
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大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 ) | |
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dozed
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v.打盹儿,打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pungent
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adj.(气味、味道)刺激性的,辛辣的;尖锐的 | |
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hoarse
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adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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Ford
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n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
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stunned
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adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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touching
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adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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wail
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vt./vi.大声哀号,恸哭;呼啸,尖啸 | |
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rusted
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v.(使)生锈( rust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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antidote
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n.解毒药,解毒剂 | |
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sipped
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v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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grunted
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(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说 | |
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guilt
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n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责 | |
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decided
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adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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grids
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n.格子( grid的名词复数 );地图上的坐标方格;(输电线路、天然气管道等的)系统网络;(汽车比赛)赛车起跑线 | |
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cherub
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n.小天使,胖娃娃 | |
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lining
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n.衬里,衬料 | |
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winding
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n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈 | |
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recede
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vi.退(去),渐渐远去;向后倾斜,缩进 | |
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overpass
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n.天桥,立交桥 | |
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wade
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v.跋涉,涉水;n.跋涉 | |
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sputtered
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v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 );发劈啪声;喷出;飞溅出 | |
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shredded
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shred的过去式和过去分词 | |
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reassured
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adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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sipping
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v.小口喝,呷,抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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thermos
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n.保湿瓶,热水瓶 | |
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navigated
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v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的过去式和过去分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃 | |
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haggled
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v.讨价还价( haggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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strings
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n.弦 | |
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flea
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n.跳蚤 | |
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promising
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adj.有希望的,有前途的 | |
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concession
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n.让步,妥协;特许(权) | |
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bumper
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n.(汽车上的)保险杠;adj.特大的,丰盛的 | |
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ministry
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n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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defense
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n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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minor
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adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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wispy
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adj.模糊的;纤细的 | |
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dangled
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悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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belied
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v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 );证明(或显示)…为虚假;辜负;就…扯谎 | |
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99
tarpaulin
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n.涂油防水布,防水衣,防水帽 | |
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simultaneously
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adv.同时发生地,同时进行地 | |
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prone
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adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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unnaturally
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adv.违反习俗地;不自然地;勉强地;不近人情地 | |
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tilting
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倾斜,倾卸 | |
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104
humility
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n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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105
legacy
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n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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106
halfway
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adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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irony
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n.反语,冷嘲;具有讽刺意味的事,嘲弄 | |
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casually
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adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地 | |
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109
arrogant
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adj.傲慢的,自大的 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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velvety
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adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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gracefully
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ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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114
walnut
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n.胡桃,胡桃木,胡桃色,茶色 | |
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lashes
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n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
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luminous
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adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的 | |
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fleetingly
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adv.飞快地,疾驰地 | |
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swap
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n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易 | |
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