多功能英语阅读15 Independence添加文本

　　Independence
"Isn't independence fun, Jack¹?" Tessa asked her dog, as they strolled alongside the highway. Jack, a loyal German shepherd, wagged his tail in agreement. Tessa grinned at the rising sun. In the distance, a lonely man was hoisting² cargoes³ with a crane. Independence certainly did feel good. It felt like the fine desert sand sieving⁴ in and out of her sandals as she forged, and the pleasant pressure of her backpack straps⁵ on her shoulders.
It meant getting out of the stifling⁶ house, getting away from her stifling parents, and getting away from the hum of the airconditioner in her ear.
What would it be like in California? This was the question that ran through Tessa's mind as she and Jack hiked next to the road. She had imagined California a million times. It would be sparkling and gold with the sun. And the blue water would splash up against the beach. There would be seashells and movie stars everywhere. Tessa took a deep breath of fresh dry air. Tessa was so lost in her fantasy that she barely noticed the pickuop that had pulled up alongside her. "Hey Girlie," the man said. "Want a ride?
"Tessa looked at him. With a friendly exterior⁷, he looked decent enough. She nodded and jumped in the cab, calling for Jack to follow her. The man stopped her. "The dog rides in back." Tessa could not ride without jack next to her. Jack was indispensable.
God knew what this dubious⁸ man would do to her if Jack weren't there. "Thanks anyway," she muttered, as she hopped⁹ out of the cab. The man made a face, like he tasted sometihing bitter. "Just a word of advice there, Girlie. Nobody is going pick you up with that big dog. You may as well just put down that thumb." "Humph," Tessa growled¹⁰ to herself. "Shows how much he knows, right Jack?" They trudged¹¹ on, her thumb out. She clicked on her portable cassette radio, and sought out a stiation with some upbeat jazz. She smiled at Jack, walking onwards.
They walked, without one car even slowing down the tiniest bit. As much as Tessa hated to admit it, she thought the man in the pickup¹² might have been right. The sun shone high in the sky. Tessa squinted¹³ at her quartz¹⁴ watch through her sunglasses, which blocked ultraviolet sunrays. "I think it's time for lunch, boy," she told Jack, dropping her backpack and sitting on it. She pulled out a hot, melted peanut butter and ham sandwich and a packet of kibble for Jack. She poured some water onto a dish for the shepherd.
After they finished their meal, the travelers started back on their hard journey again. They trudged on, and Tessa's legs began to ache. It
started in the balls and heels of her feet, and then her knees and thighs¹⁵ grew tired. She began to sweat. Her thick hair was glued to the sides of her knees and thighs grew tired. She began to sweat. Her thick hair was glued to the sides of her face and neck with sweat. The hot, thin air burned her cracked throat with every breath.
"Let's rest a while, Jack," Tessa rasped. The dog complied and threw himself down on the hot sand. Tessa hugged him, consoled by his being there with her, to protect her and keep her company. She unscrewed her aluminum¹⁶ water kettle, drinking up the last few drops of water.
Tessa and Jack struggled to their blistered¹⁷ feet and slowly marched on. Tessa didn't even bother to hold her thumb. When a car pulled up next to her, she staggered on blindly. It was a police car. The policeman over the seat and opened the door.
"Are you okay?" he asked the strange pedestrian.
She looked at him, in a daze¹⁸. His eyes looked kind. She stumbled into his car and collapsed¹⁹. The cop handed her a bottle of water, from which she gulped²⁰. The officer left the car, and let Jack into the backseat.
"Where do you live?" he asked gently. She told him. He nodded, and turned the car around, driving towards her home.
It took almost three hours to get back to Tessa's house. By then the sun had mercifully set. Tessa's parents were waiting outside the house. Tessa ran blindly to them, and tumbled into their arms. They helped her into the house. Tessa ran blindly to them, and tumbled into their arms. They helped her into house, where she instantaneously fell asleep, comforted by the hum of the air conditioner.

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 hoisting   

起重，提升

参考例句：

• The hoisting capacity of that gin pole (girder pole, guy derrick) is sixty tons. 那个起重抱杆（格状抱杆、转盘抱杆）的起重能力为60吨。 来自口语例句
• We must use mechanical hoisting to load the goods. 我们必须用起重机来装载货物。

3 cargoes   

n.（船或飞机装载的）货物( cargo的名词复数 )；大量，重负

参考例句：

• This ship embarked cargoes. 这艘船装载货物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The crew lashed cargoes of timber down. 全体船员将木材绑牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sieving   

筛（选），筛分（法）

参考例句：

• Molecular sieving effect of the ACF based PAN was found during adsorption. 在吸附时，PAN基ACF呈现出明显的分子筛效应。
• Capillary non-gel sieving electrophoresis has made remarkable progress, especially in DNA separation. 毛细管无胶筛分电泳近年来取得了很大进展。

5 straps   

n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• the shoulder straps of her dress 她连衣裙上的肩带
• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。

6 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

7 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

8 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

9 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

10 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

13 squinted   

斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看

参考例句：

• Pulling his rifle to his shoulder he squinted along the barrel. 他把枪顶肩，眯起眼睛瞄准。
• I squinted through the keyhole. 我从锁眼窥看。

14 quartz   

n.石英

参考例句：

• There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.那些山里蕴藏着大量石英。
• The quartz watch keeps good time.石英表走时准。

15 thighs   

n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿

参考例句：

• He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

17 blistered   

adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂

参考例句：

• He had a blistered heel. 他的脚后跟起了泡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Their hands blistered, but no one complained. 他们手起了泡，可是没有一个人有怨言。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 daze   

v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏

参考例句：

• The blow on the head dazed him for a moment.他头上受了一击后就昏眩了片刻。
• I like dazing to sit in the cafe by myself on Sunday.星期日爱独坐人少的咖啡室发呆。

19 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

20 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》