YUKI PUSHED THROUGH the swarm¹ of reporters and cameramen who had surrounded her from the moment she parked her car. She hoisted² her handbag higher on her shoulder, clutched her briefcase³, and headed toward the street, the press moving along with her, shouting out questions about how she thought the trial would go, and if there was anything she wanted to say to the public.

  “Not now, people,” she said. “I don’t want to keep the court waiting.” She lowered her head, pushed her way out to the intersection⁴, saw the fleet of satellite vans and setups on Bryant: local news, cable news vans, and crews from the networks, all there to cover the trial of Junie Moon.

  The light changed and Yuki crossed the street encased in a mob of reporters. She headed toward the Hall of Justice and into the thicker crowd that had gathered at the foot of the granite⁵ steps. Len Parisi had told her he’d field the media, but right now he was locked in a pileup on the freeway, an oil truck having tipped over, blocking all lanes, cars slamming into each other in the slick.

  Parisi didn’t know when he’d get to court, and so Yuki had spent a half hour going over her opening with him again on the phone, and that’s why she’d cut the time too close. She marched up the courthouse steps, eyes front, said, “Can’t talk now, sorry,” to a gang of reporters at the heavy steel-and-glass front doors to the Hall of Justice. And then, to her chagrin⁶, she couldn’t open the doors.

  A reporter from KRON held the door for her, then winked⁷ and said, “See ya later, Yuki.”

  Yuki tossed her briefcase and handbag on the security desk, walked through the metal detectors⁸ without incident, accepted “luck of the Irish” wishes from the guard, and made for the stairs, taking them quickly to the second floor.

点击收听单词发音  

1 swarm
n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入
参考例句：
There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。 A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

2 hoisted
把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。 The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

3 briefcase
n.手提箱，公事皮包
参考例句：
He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。 He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。

4 intersection
n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集
参考例句：
There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。 Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。

5 granite
adj.花岗岩，花岗石
参考例句：
They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。 The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

6 chagrin
n.懊恼；气愤；委屈
参考例句：
His increasingly visible chagrin sets up a vicious circle.他的明显的不满引起了一种恶性循环。 Much to his chagrin,he did not win the race.使他大为懊恼的是他赛跑没获胜。

7 winked
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮
参考例句：
He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。 He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 detectors
探测器( detector的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。 This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

9 prosecution
n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营
参考例句：
The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。 He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

10 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。

11 murmur
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。 There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

12 replacement
n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品
参考例句：
We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。 They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

13 vibrant
adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的
参考例句：
He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。 She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

14 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。

15 rumpled
v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。 The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪，散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句

16 frayed
adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 sneak
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行
参考例句：
He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。 I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

18 trademark
n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标
参考例句：
The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。 The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

19 lipstick
n.口红，唇膏
参考例句：
Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。 Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

20 jewelry
n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝
参考例句：
The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。 Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

21 bouquets
n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香
参考例句：
The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 recess
n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）
参考例句：
The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。 Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

23 scorching
adj. 灼热的
参考例句：
a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳 a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

24 transparent
adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的
参考例句：
The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。 The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

25 spine
n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊
参考例句：
He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。 His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。