He drives his slate¹?gray Celica home to Penn Park. Janice's Camry is not in the driveway and he thinks the phone ringing inside might be her. She's almost never here any more ? off at her classes, or over in Mt. Judge babysitting, or at the lot consulting with Nelson, or in Brewer² with her lawyer and those accountants Charlie told her to hire. He works the key in the lock ? maddening, the scratchy way the key doesn't fit in the lock instantly, it reminds him of something from way back, something unpleasant that hollows his stomach, but what? ? and shoves the door open with his shoulder and reaches the hall phone just as it's giving what he knows will be its dying ring. "Hello." He can hardly get the word out.

"Dad? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"You sound so winded."

"I just came in. I thought you were your mother."

"Mom's been here. I'm still at the lot, she suggested I call you. I've got this great idea."

"I've heard it. You want to open a drug treatment center."

"Maybe some day down the road. But for now I think we should work on the lot as what it is. It looks great, by the way, with all those little Toyotas in those funny colors of theirs gone. People are still coming in to buy used, they think we must be having a bargain sale, and a couple of companies are interested in the location ? Hyundai for instance has this big new place over past Hayesville but the location is up behind a cloverleaf and nobody can figure out how to get to it, there's too much landscaping, they'd love to have a spot right on 111 ? but what I'm calling about was this idea I got last night, I ran it past Mom, she said to talk to you."

"O.K., O.K., you're good to include me," Harry³ says.

"Last night I was out on the river, you know over where they have all these little river cottages with colored lights and porches and steps going down into the water?"

"I don't know, actually, I've never been there, but go on."

"Well, Pru and I were over there last night with Jason and Pam, you may have heard me mention them."

"Vaguely⁴." All these pauses for

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1 slate
n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订
参考例句：
The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。 What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

2 brewer
n. 啤酒制造者
参考例句：
Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。 I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

3 harry
vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼
参考例句：
Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。 Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 vaguely
adv.含糊地，暖昧地
参考例句：
He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。 He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

5 confirmation
n.证实，确认，批准
参考例句：
We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。 We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

6 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 generators
n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司
参考例句：
The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。 Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 pajamas
n.睡衣裤
参考例句：
At bedtime,I take off my clothes and put on my pajamas.睡觉时，我脱去衣服，换上睡衣。 He was wearing striped pajamas.他穿着带条纹的睡衣裤。

9 mincing
adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎
参考例句：
She came to the park with mincing,and light footsteps.她轻移莲步来到了花园之中。 There is no use in mincing matters.掩饰事实是没有用的。

10 inspection
n.检查，审查，检阅
参考例句：
On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。 The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

11 yen
n. 日元；热望
参考例句：
He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。 He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

12 fad
n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好
参考例句：
His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。 A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。

13 inflated
adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨
参考例句：
He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。 They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 shack
adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚
参考例句：
He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。 The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

15 salvation
n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困
参考例句：
Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。 Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

16 fads
n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 )
参考例句：
It was one of the many fads that sweep through mathematics regularly. 它是常见的贯穿在数学中的许多流行一时的风尚之一。 来自辞典例句 Lady Busshe is nothing without her flights, fads, and fancies. 除浮躁、时髦和幻想外，巴歇夫人一无所有。 来自辞典例句

17 defensive
adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
参考例句：
Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。 The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

18 whining
n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚
参考例句：
That's the way with you whining, puny, pitiful players. 你们这种又爱哭、又软弱、又可怜的赌棍就是这样。 The dog sat outside the door whining (to be let in). 那条狗坐在门外狺狺叫着（要进来）。

19 automated
a.自动化的
参考例句：
The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。 Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

20 meditation
n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录
参考例句：
This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。 I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

21 bug
n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器
参考例句：
There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。 The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

22 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

23 rankling
v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Yet the knowledge imparted to him by the chambermaid was rankling in his mind. 可是女仆告诉他的消息刺痛着他的心。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

24 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

25 dilated
adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Her eyes dilated with fear. 她吓得瞪大了眼睛。 The cat dilated its eyes. 猫瞪大了双眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 psychology
n.心理，心理学，心理状态
参考例句：
She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。 He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

27 prosecute
vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官
参考例句：
I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。 Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

28 consolidated
a.联合的
参考例句：
With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。 Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

29 inventory
n.详细目录，存货清单
参考例句：
Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。 We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

30 mid
adj.中央的，中间的
参考例句：
Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。 He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

31 installments
部分( installment的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The first two installments were pretty close together in 1980. 第一次和节二次提款隔得很近，都是在1980年提的。 You have an installments sales contract. 你已经订立了一份分期付款的买卖契约了。

32 envious
adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的
参考例句：
I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。 She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。

33 therapeutic
adj.治疗的，起治疗作用的；对身心健康有益的
参考例句：
Therapeutic measures were selected to fit the patient.选择治疗措施以适应病人的需要。 When I was sad,music had a therapeutic effect.我悲伤的时候，音乐有治疗效力。

34 vessels
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人
参考例句：
The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》 All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

35 tint
n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句：
You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。 She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。