VOA标准英语2011--For Some, Life Is Many Roller-Coaster Ri

For Some, Life Is Many Roller-Coaster Rides

It's roller-coaster time at America's amusement and theme parks. Time to laugh in anticipation¹ as the coaster takes its sweet old time clicking and clacking up the first incline and then shriek² in mock terror as it seemingly hurls³ you off the edge of the earth into an abyss of steel and wood below.
But some newer coasters don't click and clack at all. They go from a dead stop to 100 kilometers an hour in four seconds.
The total ride, which lasts two minutes max, includes loops and sideways dips and sometimes something called "double helixes." We don't know for sure what those are, but we're terrified just hearing about them.
Some wooden, rickety roller coasters are modest affairs. Then there newer monsters such as "Son of Beast" at King's Island in Ohio. It climbs 66 meters into the air at one point, and it hurtles 2,100 meters from start to teeth-rattling finish. If that's the son, we're afraid to ask how big Papa Beast much be.
Several thousand thrill-seeking coaster nuts - we use the term affectionately - are members of "ACE," the American Coaster Enthusiasts⁴' club. One of its most attractive privileges is that, at every ride in every park in the country, you get escorted to the head of the waiting line.
These folks will ride the steel dragons seven or eight or 10 times in a day. If the track flips⁵ you sideways or upside down for a time, all the better.
Many coaster freaks tell us their favorite thrill is what they call "air time" or "hang time."
As one fellow told us, "You're going over a hill, and you still have vertical⁶ ‘G's' from going up. And suddenly the car is pulling you back down. It lifts you out of your seat and gives you that belly⁷ feeling like you're falling through space."
That "belly feeling." Sounds . . . delightful⁸.

1 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。

2 shriek   

v./n.尖叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。
• People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。

3 hurls   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的第三人称单数 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• Jane really hurls herself into learning any new song, doesn't she? 对任何新歌，简都会一心一意去学，对吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The necromancer hurls a bolt of dark energies against his enemies. 亡灵法师向对手射出一道带着黑暗能量的影束。 来自互联网

4 enthusiasts   

n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A group of enthusiasts have undertaken the reconstruction of a steam locomotive. 一群火车迷已担负起重造蒸汽机车的任务。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Now a group of enthusiasts are going to have the plane restored. 一群热心人计划修复这架飞机。 来自新概念英语第二册

5 flips   

轻弹( flip的第三人称单数 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• Larry flips on the TV while he is on vacation in Budapest. 赖瑞在布达佩斯渡假时，打开电视收看节目。
• He flips through a book before making a decision. 他在决定买下一本书前总要先草草翻阅一下。

6 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

7 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

8 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。