THE INSIDE OF the Atkinson house was like a museum. Miles of glossy¹ hardwood floors, large modern canvases hung on two-story-high white walls. Lights came on when we stepped into a room.

  It was like a museum after hours: no one was home.

  And it was creepy. No pets, no newspapers or magazines, no dishes in the sink, and except for the food in the refrigerator and a precise lineup of clothing in each closet, there was little sign that anyone had ever lived in this place.

  That is, until we reached Hawk’s room in a wing far from the master suite².

  Hawk’s roost was large and bright, the windows looking west over the mountains. The bed was the least of the room. It was single, with a plain blue bedspread, speakers on each side, and a headset plugged into a CD player. One long side of the room was lined with a built-in Formica desk. Several computers and monitors and high-tech³ laser printers were set up there and the adjacent wall was lined with thick corkboard.

  Pidge’s drawings, many of which I recognized from 7th Heaven, were pinned to the board. But there were new drawings, too, and they looked to be works in progress for a second graphic⁴ novel.

  “I’m thinking that this was their workshop,” I said to Conklin. “That they cooked it all up in here.”

  Conklin took a seat at the desktop⁵, and I examined the corkboard. “Book number two,” I said to Conklin. “Lux et Veritas. Got any idea what that means?”

  “Easy one,” Rich said, lowering the seat of the hydraulic⁶ chair. “Light and truth.”

  “Catchy. Sounds like more fires in the making -”

  Rich called out, “Hawk’s got a journal. I touched the mouse and it came up on the screen.”

  “Fantastic!”

  As Rich scrolled⁷ through Brett Atkinson’s journal, I continued my study of the drawings on the wall. One of them nailed me as if I, too, were pinned to the corkboard. The drawing

点击收听单词发音  

1 glossy
adj.平滑的；有光泽的
参考例句：
I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。 She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。

2 suite
n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员
参考例句：
She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。 That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

3 high-tech
adj.高科技的
参考例句：
The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。 The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

4 graphic
adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的
参考例句：
The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。 Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

5 desktop
n.桌面管理系统程序；台式
参考例句：
My computer is a desktop computer of excellent quality.我的计算机是品质卓越的台式计算机。 Do you know which one is better,a laptop or a desktop?你知道哪一种更好，笔记本还是台式机？

6 hydraulic
adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的
参考例句：
The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。 A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

7 scrolled
adj.具有涡卷装饰的v.（电脑屏幕上）从上到下移动（资料等），卷页( scroll的过去式和过去分词 )；（似卷轴般）卷起；（像展开卷轴般地）将文字显示于屏幕
参考例句：
Wherever the drop target can possibly be scrolled offscreen, the program needs to auto-scroll. 无论拖放的目标对象是否在屏幕之外，程序都需要自动滚动。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓 If It'still is then you've not scrolled up enough lines. 如果还在说明你向上滚动的行数不够。 来自互联网

8 depicted
描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述
参考例句：
Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。 They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

9 middle-aged
adj.中年的
参考例句：
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。 The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

10 caption
n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明
参考例句：
I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。 There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。

11 arson
n.纵火，放火
参考例句：
He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。 He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

12 syllables
n.音节( syllable的名词复数 )
参考例句：
a word with two syllables 双音节单词 'No. But I'll swear it was a name of two syllables.' “想不起。不过我可以发誓，它有两个音节。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 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。

14 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》