With the sun up and the town anxiously coming to life, the Slone police were on high alert, with holsters unfastened, radios squawking, patrol cars darting¹ up and down the streets, and every officer looking for the next hint of trouble. It was expected at the high school, and for good measure the chief sent half a dozen men there early on Thursday morning. When the students arrived for class, they saw police cars parked near the main entrance, an ominous² sign.

All of Slone knew that the black players had boycotted³ practice on Wednesday and had vowed⁴ not to play Friday. There could be no greater insult to a community that loved its football. The fans, so ardent⁵ and loyal only a week earlier, now felt betrayed. Feelings were strong; emotions were raw all over Slone. On the white side of town, the bitterness was caused by football, and now the burning of a church. On the black side, it was all about the execution.

As with most violent and sudden conflicts, the precise manner in which the riot began would never be known. In the endless retelling of it, two things became obvious: the black students blamed the white students, and the whites blamed the blacks. The question of time was a bit clearer. Just seconds after the first bell at 8:15, several things happened at once. Smoke bombs were lit in the boys' restrooms on the first and second floors. Cherry bombs were rolled down the main hallway, exploding like howitzers under the metal lockers⁶. A string of firecrackers went off near the central stairwell, and panic swept the school. Most of the black students walked out of class and mingled⁷ in the halls. A brawl⁸ erupted in a junior homeroom class when a black hothead and a white hothead exchanged insults and started swinging. Others were quick to take sides and join in. The teacher ran from the room screaming for help. One fight sparked a dozen more. Before long, students were rushing out of the building, running for safety. Some were yelling, "Fire! Fire!" though no flames had been seen. The police called for backups and fire trucks. Firecrackers were popping all over the first and second floors. The smoke grew thicker and thicker as the

点击收听单词发音  

1 darting
v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

2 ominous
adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的
参考例句：
Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。 There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

3 boycotted
抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。 The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

4 vowed
起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。 I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

5 ardent
adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的
参考例句：
He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。 Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

6 lockers
n.寄物柜( locker的名词复数 )
参考例句：
I care about more lockers for the teachers. 我关心教师要有更多的储物柜。 来自辞典例句 Passengers are requested to stow their hand-baggage in the lockers above the seats. 旅客须将随身携带的行李放入座位上方的贮藏柜里。 来自辞典例句

7 mingled
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。 The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

8 brawl
n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂
参考例句：
They had nothing better to do than brawl in the street.他们除了在街上斗殴做不出什么好事。 I don't want to see our two neighbours engaged in a brawl.我不希望我们两家吵架吵得不可开交。

9 chaos
n.混乱，无秩序
参考例句：
After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。 The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

10 ransacking
v.彻底搜查( ransack的现在分词 )；抢劫，掠夺
参考例句：
She was ransacking the stores for Jim's present. 她正在彻底搜寻各家店铺，为吉姆买礼物。 来自英汉文学 - 欧亨利 Ransacking the drawers of the dresser he came upon a discarded, tiny, ragged handkerchief. 他打开橱柜抽屉搜寻，找到了一块弃置的小旧手帕。 来自辞典例句

11 trophy
n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品
参考例句：
The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。 He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

12 evacuated
撤退者的
参考例句：
Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。 The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

13 acrid
adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的
参考例句：
There is an acrid tone to your remarks.你说这些话的口气带有讥刺意味。 The room was filled with acrid smoke.房里充满刺鼻的烟。

14 clogged
（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞
参考例句：
The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。 The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

15 bruises
n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 melee
n.混战；混战的人群
参考例句：
There was a scuffle and I lost my hat in the melee.因发生一场斗殴，我的帽子也在混乱中丢失了。 In the melee that followed they trampled their mother a couple of times.他们打在一团，七手八脚的又踩了他们的母亲几下。

17 supervisor
n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师
参考例句：
Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。 He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

18 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

19 inmate
n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人
参考例句：
I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。 The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

20 eavesdrop
v.偷听，倾听
参考例句：
He ensconced himself in the closet in order to eavesdrop.他藏在壁橱里，以便偷听。 It is not polite to eavesdrop on the conversation of other people.偷听他人说话是很不礼貌的。

21 condemned
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。 The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

22 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

23 boxers
n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗
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》 The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

25 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

26 reprieve
n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解
参考例句：
He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。 The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

27 guilt
n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责
参考例句：
She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。 Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

28 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

29 hymns
n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )
参考例句：
At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821 I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句

30 scripture
n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段
参考例句：
The scripture states that God did not want us to be alone.圣经指出上帝并不是想让我们独身一人生活。 They invoked Hindu scripture to justify their position.他们援引印度教的经文为他们的立场辩护。

31 anecdote
n.轶事，趣闻，短故事
参考例句：
He departed from the text to tell an anecdote.他偏离课文讲起了一则轶事。 It had never been more than a family anecdote.那不过是个家庭趣谈罢了。

32 vending
v.出售（尤指土地等财产）( vend的现在分词 )；（尤指在公共场所）贩卖；发表（意见，言论）；声明
参考例句：
Why Are You Banging on the Vending Machine? 你为什么敲打这台自动售货机？ 来自朗文快捷英语教程 2 Coca-Cola had to adapt almost 300,000 vending machines to accept the new coins. 可口可乐公司必须使将近三十万台自动贩卖机接受新货币。 来自超越目标英语 第5册

33 inmates
n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )
参考例句：
One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

34 craved
渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求
参考例句：
She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。 A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

35 warden
n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人
参考例句：
He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。 The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。

36 compassionate
adj.有同情心的，表示同情的
参考例句：
She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。 The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

37 jurisdiction
n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权
参考例句：
It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。 Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

38 archaic
adj.(语言、词汇等)古代的，已不通用的
参考例句：
The company does some things in archaic ways,such as not using computers for bookkeeping.这个公司有些做法陈旧，如记账不使用电脑。 Shaanxi is one of the Chinese archaic civilized origins which has a long history.陕西省是中国古代文明发祥之一，有悠久的历史。

39 cumbersome
adj.笨重的，不便携带的
参考例句：
Although the machine looks cumbersome,it is actually easy to use.尽管这台机器看上去很笨重，操作起来却很容易。 The furniture is too cumbersome to move.家具太笨，搬起来很不方便。

40 obsolete
adj.已废弃的，过时的
参考例句：
These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。 They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

41 defender
n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人
参考例句：
He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。 The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

42 insanity
n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐
参考例句：
In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。 He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

43 scattered
adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的
参考例句：
Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

44 transcript
n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书
参考例句：
A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。 They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

45 recording
n.录音，记录
参考例句：
How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？ I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

46 guts
v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠
参考例句：
I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。 Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

47 testimony
n.证词；见证，证明
参考例句：
The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。 He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

48 tinged
v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事 white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣

49 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

50 fuming
愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟
参考例句：
She sat in the car, silently fuming at the traffic jam. 她坐在汽车里，心中对交通堵塞感到十分恼火。 I was fuming at their inefficiency. 我正因为他们效率低而发火。

51 awakened
v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到
参考例句：
She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。 The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

52 gulped
v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住
参考例句：
He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. 他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。 She gulped nervously, as if the question bothered her. 她紧张地咽了一下，似乎那问题把她难住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

53 rape
n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸
参考例句：
The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。 He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

54 coma
n.昏迷，昏迷状态
参考例句：
The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。 She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。