多功能英语阅读04 The Summer Storm

The summer weather this year has been even more unexpredictable than usual. Yesterday was no exception.

My day at work had not gone pariticularly well and I returned home in a bit of a mood. My parents are staying for a few

days and they were watching soccer on the TV with my son,so I decided¹ that I should take myself away for a touch of

isolation² therapy by reading a book in my bedroom.

I sat in an inflatable chair in my bedroom. It's big,but very, very comfortable. After about half an hour, it got dark

to read in the natural light, so I got up to turn on the main light. It was then that I noticed the flashes of distant

lightening.

Now, I really love thunderstorms, there is something about the danger of the lightening, the roar of the thunder

combining with the sounds of heavy rain. Most of all there is the smell of cold rain upon hot dry earth.

Long since broken of the habits of going outside to walk in the teeth of the storm, I moved my inflatable chair up onto

the bed, opened the windows and turned off the lights. In fact I didn't need to bother, a few moments later the power to

the whole neighborhood went off, plunging³ us all into darkness.

Climbing up onto my comfy chair, I positioned myself so that one bare foot poked⁴ out of each side of the open window.

Slowly the breeze through the open window increased and sent a wonderful cooling sensation over my bare feet and legs.

The storm got closer, heading straight towards my window.

Although only a matter of minutes after sunset, the dark clouds had plunged⁵ everything into night. The lack of any

streetlight only heightened my anticipation⁶ of the approaching storm.

Lightening split the clouds. Thick forked baldes of white light first went down to the earth and then a fraction of a

second later headed back up into the heavy cloud. The cloud itself lit up and flickered⁷ for a few seconds like a faulty

tube. The tension built for ten seconds and then the noise of the thunder drifted to my ears.

The storms got closer.

The lightening strikes seemed to augment⁸ in frequency. The thunder changed too. No longer a lazy growl⁹, it slowly became

so loud and powerful that I swore that I could feet shock waves rustling¹⁰ through my house.

The lightening and the thunder slowly became synchronized¹¹. When I was a child I counted the seconds between the flashes

and the roars. Wher it was barely a querter of a mile from the house, the hairs on my legs started to quiver and stand

up, excited by the static electricity in the air and my growing excitement.

Then it started to rain. Huge drops of cold rain started to fall. It looked like a gray sheet was being pulled across

the land and sounded like the approach of a wildly clapping audience, appreciative¹² of the strom. The first big drops of

rain hit my feet. The wonderful fresh smell of dry earth being baptized by cold rain reached my nose.

Lightening and thunder were now as one. The lightening so bright that my eyes took a few seconds to adjust back to the

gloom. The thunder was now so loudly that it was almost as much felt as heard. I sat back and relished¹³ the greatest free

show that nature can provide. Just when I thought the storm had passed,ir provided a brief encore. A lightening flash

that forked and snaked from left to right to light up the sky like a roadmap was accompanied by a thunderclap that

seemed to rattle¹⁴ the window.

All at once the show ended. The lightening now at my back provided only flashes of light. The thunder returned to its

growling¹⁵ beginnings. At once the rain stopped as quickly as it began. The electricity company restored the power and

raised the houselight as a final signal that the show had ended.

Once I was sure that there was no second encore, I rose to get a towel to dry both the chair and myself. My mother was

standing¹⁶ in the doorway¹⁷, openmouthed.

All I said was,"Mum, I'm not weired, don't worry!"

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

3 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

6 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

7 flickered   

（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
• These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。

8 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

9 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

10 rustling   

n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的

参考例句：

• the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声
• the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

11 synchronized   

同步的

参考例句：

• Do not use the synchronized keyword in Managed Objects. 不要在管理对象上使用synchronized关键字。 来自互联网
• The timing of the gun was precisely synchronized with the turning of the plane's propeller. 风门的调速与飞机螺旋桨的转动精确同步。 来自辞典例句

12 appreciative   

adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的

参考例句：

• She was deeply appreciative of your help.她对你的帮助深表感激。
• We are very appreciative of their support in this respect.我们十分感谢他们在这方面的支持。

13 relished   

v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望

参考例句：

• The chaplain relished the privacy and isolation of his verdant surroundings. 牧师十分欣赏他那苍翠的环境所具有的幽雅恬静，与世隔绝的气氛。 来自辞典例句
• Dalleson relished the first portion of the work before him. 达尔生对眼前这工作的前半部分满有兴趣。 来自辞典例句

14 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

15 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

16 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

17 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。