SO the child Edward Albert passed on through boyhood, and approached that peculiar¹ reconstruction² in the human life-cycle known as adolescence³.

“Peculiar”, like every other word in this conscientious⁴ narrative⁵, is written with deliberation. It is a metamorphosis. The change is indeed not so wide as it is between tadpole⁶ and frog, but it is much more marked in man, my zoologist⁷ friends tell me, than in most others of the land animals about us. Your cat, for example, does not undergo anything like the same transformation⁸. It does not suddenly grow hair in unexpected places, change its miaow to a leonine roar, lose its teeth, and get a new set, become spotty and gawky with chemical and nervous uncertainty⁹. Your kitten grows into a cat, “but gradually and gracefully¹⁰, it is a specialised and completed creature from the moment it opens its eyes on the world, and it has no metamorphosis at all. The human animal has, and Edward Albert, following the lav of our species, metamorphosed.

Perhaps it is a new idea to you that man undergoes a ^metamorphosis much more after the fashion of a frog than do most other land animals. But it, is not my fault that you do not know that. I have done my feeble utmost to help in saving you and our world from the dismal¹¹ mess of antiquated

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1 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

2 reconstruction
n.重建，再现，复原
参考例句：
The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。 In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

3 adolescence
n.青春期，青少年
参考例句：
Adolescence is the process of going from childhood to maturity.青春期是从少年到成年的过渡期。 The film is about the trials and tribulations of adolescence.这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。

4 conscientious
adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的
参考例句：
He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。 He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

5 narrative
n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的
参考例句：
He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。 Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

6 tadpole
n.[动]蝌蚪
参考例句：
As a tadpole changes into a frog,its tail is gradually absorbed.蝌蚪变成蛙，它的尾巴就逐渐被吸收掉。 It was a tadpole.Now it is a frog.它过去是蝌蚪，现在是一只青蛙。

7 zoologist
n.动物学家
参考例句：
Charles darwin was a famous zoologist.查尔斯达尔文是一位著名的动物学家。 The zoologist had spent a long time living with monkeys.这位动物学家与猴子一起生活了很长时间。

8 transformation
n.变化；改造；转变
参考例句：
Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。 He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

9 uncertainty
n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物
参考例句：
Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。 After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

10 gracefully
ad.大大方方地；优美地
参考例句：
She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。 The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

11 dismal
adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的
参考例句：
That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。 My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

12 antiquated
adj.陈旧的，过时的
参考例句：
Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.很多工厂过于陈旧落后，已不值得挽救。 A train of antiquated coaches was waiting for us at the siding.一列陈旧的火车在侧线上等着我们。

13 tragically
adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地
参考例句：
Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。 Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

14 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

15 philosophical
adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的
参考例句：
The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。 She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

16 primitiveness
原始，原始性
参考例句：
Recently attained characters are generally indicative of primitiveness. 新近获得的性状普遍显示出原始性的分类群。

17 encyclopaedia
n.百科全书
参考例句：
An encyclopaedia contains a lot of knowledge.百科全书包含很多知识。 This is an encyclopaedia of philosophy.这是本哲学百科全书。

18 primates
primate的复数
参考例句：
Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。 Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

19 spectral
adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的
参考例句：
At times he seems rather ordinary.At other times ethereal,perhaps even spectral.有时他好像很正常，有时又难以捉摸，甚至像个幽灵。 She is compelling,spectral fascinating,an unforgettably unique performer.她极具吸引力，清幽如鬼魅，令人着迷，令人难忘，是个独具特色的演员。

20 spectrum
n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列
参考例句：
This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。 We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

21 furry
adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的
参考例句：
This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。 Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

22 primordial
adj.原始的；最初的
参考例句：
It is the primordial force that propels us forward.它是推动我们前进的原始动力。 The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors.的尼安德特人是我们的原始祖先之一.

23 gorilla
n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手
参考例句：
I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。

24 condole
v.同情；慰问
参考例句：
We condole with him on his loss.我们对他的损失深表同情。 I condole with you.We have lost a most dear and valuable relation.我向你表示唁慰，我们失去了一位最可爱的、最可贵的亲人。

25 dissect
v.分割；解剖
参考例句：
In biology class we had to dissect a frog.上生物课时我们得解剖青蛙。 Not everyone can dissect and digest the public information they receive.不是每个人都可以解析和消化他们得到的公共信息的。

26 propitiatory
adj.劝解的；抚慰的；谋求好感的；哄人息怒的
参考例句：
She saw the flowers as a propitiatory offering. 在她看来，送花是主动和解的表示。 He sent her flowers as a propitiatory gesture. 他将花送给她以求好感。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

27 mitigated
v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The cost of getting there is mitigated by Sydney's offer of a subsidy. 由于悉尼提供补助金，所以到那里的花费就减少了。 来自辞典例句 The living conditions were slightly mitigated. 居住条件稍有缓解。 来自辞典例句

28 ancestry
n.祖先，家世
参考例句：
Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。 He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

29 distinguished
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。 A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

30 simultaneously
adv.同时发生地，同时进行地
参考例句：
The radar beam can track a number of targets almost simultaneously.雷达波几乎可以同时追着多个目标。 The Windows allow a computer user to execute multiple programs simultaneously.Windows允许计算机用户同时运行多个程序。

31 taboos
禁忌( taboo的名词复数 )； 忌讳； 戒律； 禁忌的事物（或行为）
参考例句：
She was unhorsed by fences, laws and alien taboos. 她被藩蓠、法律及外来的戒律赶下了马。 His mind was charged with taboos. 他头脑里忌讳很多。

32 repressions
n.压抑( repression的名词复数 )；约束；抑制；镇压
参考例句：

33 onset
n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始
参考例句：
The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。 Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

34 apprehended
逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解
参考例句：
She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。 The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。