2. Trying to reason out the best course of action, he talked with his father and mother, who had moved into the ten-room house with the Koshaks a month earlier from California. He also consulted Charles Hill, a longtime friend, who had driven from Las Vegas for a visit.
3. John, 37—whose business was right there in his home (he designed and developed educational toys and supplies, and all of Magna Products’ correspondence, engineering drawings and art work were there on the first floor)—was familiar with the power of a hurricane. Four years earlier, Hurricane Betsy had demolished his former home a few miles west of Gulfport (Koshak had moved his family to a motel for the night). But that house had stood only a few feet above sea level. “We’re elevated 23 feet,” he told his father, “and we’re a good 250 yards from the sea. The place has been here since 1915, and no hurricane has ever bothered it. We’ll probably be as safe here as anyplace else.”
4. The elder Koshak, a gruff, warm-hearted expert machinist of 67, agreed. “We can batten down and ride it out,” he said. “If we see signs of danger, we can get out before dark.”
5. The men methodically prepared for the hurricane. Since water mains might be damaged, they filled bathtubs and pails. A power failure was likely, so they checked out batteries for the portable radio and flashlights, and fuel for the lantern. John’s father moved a small generator into the downstairs hallway, wired several light bulbs to it and prepared a connection to the refrigerator.
6. Rain fell steadily that afternoon; gray clouds scudded in from the Gulf on the rising wind. The family had an early supper. A neighbor, whose husband was in Vietnam, asked if she and her two children could sit out the storm with the Koshaks. Another neighbor came by on his way inland—would the Koshaks mind taking care of his dog?
7. It grew dark before seven o’clock. Wind and rain now whipped the house. John sent his oldest son and daughter upstairs to bring down mattresses and pillows for the younger children. He wanted to keep the group together on one floor. “Stay away from the windows,” he warned, concerned about glass flying from storm-shattered panes. As the wind mounted to a roar, the house began leaking, the rain seemingly driven right through the walls. With mops, towels, pots and buckets the Koshaks began a struggle against the rapidly spreading water. At 8:30, power failed, and Pop Koshak turned on the generator.
8. The roar of the hurricane now was overwhelming. The house shook, and the ceiling in the living room was falling piece by piece. The French doors in an upstairs room blew in with an explosive sound, and the group heard gun-like reports as other upstairs windows disintegrated. Water rose above their ankles.
9. Then the front door started to break away from its frame. John and Charlie put their shoulders against it, but a blast of water hit the house, flinging open the door and shoving them down the hall. The generator was doused, and the lights went out. Charlie licked his lips and shouted to John. “I think we’re in real trouble. That water tasted salty.” The sea had reached the house, and the water was rising by the minute!
10. “Everybody out the back door to the cars!” John yelled. “We’ll pass the children along between us. Count them! Nine!”
11. The children went from adult to adult like buckets in a fire brigade. But the cars wouldn’t start; the electrical systems had been killed by water. The wind was too strong and the water too deep to flee on foot. “Back to the house!” John yelled. “Count the children! Count nine!”
12. As they scrambled back, John ordered, “Everybody on the stairs!” Frightened, breathless and wet, the group settled on the stairs, which were protected by two interior walls. The children put the cat, Spooky, and a box with her four kittens on the landing. She peered nervously at her litter. The neighbor’s dog curled up and went to sleep.
13. The wind sounded like the roar of a train passing a few yards away. The house shuddered and shifted on its foundations. Water inched its way up the steps as first floor outside walls collapsed. No one spoke. Everyone knew there was no escape; they would live or die in the house.
14. Charlie Hill had more or less taken responsibility for the neighbor and her two children. The mother was on the verge of panic. She clutched his arm and kept repeating, “I can’t swim, I can’t swim.”
15. “You won’t have to,” he told her, with outward calm. “It’s bound to end soon.”
16. Grandmother Koshak reached an arm around her husband’s shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. “Pop,” she said, “I love you.” He turned his head and answered, “I love you”—and his voice lacked its usual gruffness.
17. John watched the water lap at the steps, and felt a crushing guilt. He had underestimated the ferocity of Camille. He had assumed that what had never happened could not happen. He held his head between his hands, and silently prayed: “Get us through this mess, will You?”
18. A moment later, the hurricane, in one mighty swipe, lifted the entire roof off the house and skimmed it 40 feet through the air. The bottom steps of the staircase broke apart. One wall began crumbling on the marooned group.
19. Dr. Robert H. Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fla., graded Hurricane Camille as “the greatest recorded storm ever to hit a populated area in the Western Hemisphere.” In its concentrated breadth of some 70 miles it shot out winds of nearly 200 mph and raised tides as high as 30 feet. Along the Gulf Coast it devastated everything in its swath: 19,467 homes and 709 small businesses were demolished or severely damaged. It seized a 600,000-gallon Gulfport oil tank and dumped it 3 1/2 miles away. It tore three large cargo ships from their moorings and beached them. Telephone poles and 20-inch-thick pines cracked like guns as the winds snapped them.
20. To the west of Gulfport, the town of Pass Christian was virtually wiped out. Several vacationers at the luxurious Richelieu Apartments there held a hurricane party to watch the storm from their spectacular vantage point. Richelieu Apartments were smashed apart as if by a gigantic fist, and 26 people perished.
21. Seconds after the roof blew off the Koshak house, John yelled, “Up the stairs—into our bedroom! Count the kids.” The children huddled in the slashing rain within the circle of adults. Grandmother Koshak implored, “Children, let’s sing!” The children were too frightened to respond. She carried on alone for a few bars; then her voice trailed away.
22. Debris flew as the living-room fireplace and its chimney collapsed. With two walls in their bedroom sanctuary beginning to disintegrate, John ordered, “Into the television room!” This was the room farthest from the direction of the storm.
23. For an instant, John put his arm around his wife. Janis understood. Shivering from the wind and rain and fear, clutching two children to her, she thought, “Dear Lord, give me the strength to endure what I have to.” She felt anger against the hurricane. “We won’t let it win.”
24. Pop Koshak raged silently, frustrated at not being able to do anything to fight Camille. Without reason, he dragged a cedar chest and a double mattress from a bedroom into the TV room. At that moment, the wind tore out one wall and extinguished the lantern. A second wall moved, wavered, Charlie Hill tried to support it, but it toppled on him, injuring his back. The house, shuddering and rocking, had moved 25 feet from its foundations. The world seemed to be breaking apart.
25. “Let’s get that mattress up!” John shouted to his father. “Make it a lean-to against the wind. Get the kids under it. We can prop it up with our heads and shoulders!”
26. The larger children sprawled on the floor, with the smaller ones in a layer on top of them, and the adults bent over all nine. The floor tilted. The box containing the litter of kittens slid off a shelf and vanished in the wind. Spooky flew off the top of a sliding bookcase and also disappeared. The dog cowered with eyes closed. A third wall gave way. Water lapped across the slanting floor. John grabbed a door which was still hinged to one closet wall. “If the floor goes,” he yelled at his father, “let’s get the kids on this.”
27. In that moment, the wind slightly diminished, and the water stopped rising. Then the water began receding. The main thrust of Camille had passed. The Koshaks and their friends had survived.
28. With the dawn, Gulfport people started coming back to their homes. They saw human bodies—more than 130 men, women and children died along the Mississippi coast—and parts of the beach and highway were strewn with dead dogs, cats, and cattle. Strips of clothing festooned the standing trees, and blown-down power lines coiled like black spaghetti over the roads.
29. None of the returnees moved quickly or spoke loudly; they stood shocked, trying to absorb the shattering scenes before their eyes. “What do we do?” they asked. “Where do we go?”
30. By this time, organizations within the area and, in effect, the entire population of the United States had come to the aid of the devastated coast. Before dawn, the Mississippi National Guard and civil-defense units were moving in to handle traffic, guard property, set up communications centers, help clear the debris and take the homeless by truck and bus to refugee centers. By 10 a.m., the Salvation Army’s canteen trucks and Red Cross volunteers and staffers were going wherever possible to distribute hot drinks, food, clothing and bedding.
31. From hundreds of towns and cities across the country came several million dollars in donations; household and medical supplies streamed in by plane, train, truck and car. The federal government shipped 4,400,000 pounds of food, moved in mobile homes, set up portable classrooms, and opened offices to provide low-interest, long-term business loans.
32. Camille, meanwhile, had raked its way northward across Mississippi, dropping more than 28 inches of rain into West Virginia and southern Virginia, causing rampaging floods, huge mountain slides and 111 additional deaths before breaking up over the Atlantic Ocean.
33. Like many other Gulfport families, the Koshaks quickly began reorganizing their lives. John divided his family in the homes of two friends. The neighbor with her two children went to a refugee center. Charlie Hill found a room for rent. By Tuesday, Charlie’s back had improved, and he pitched in with Seabees in the worst volunteer work of all—searching for bodies. Three days after the storm, he decided not to return to Las Vegas, but to “remain in Gulfport and help rebuild the community.”
34. Near the end of the first week, a friend offered the Koshaks his apartment, and the family was reunited. The children appeared to suffer no psychological damage from their experience; they were still awed by the incomprehensible power of the hurricane, but enjoyed describing what they had seen and heard on that frightful night. Janis had just one delayed reaction. A few nights after the hurricane, she awoke suddenly at 2 a.m. She quietly got up and went outside. Looking up at the sky and, without knowing she was going to do it, she began to cry softly.
35. Meanwhile, John, Pop and Charlie were picking through the wreckage of the home. It could have been depressing, but it wasn’t: each salvaged item represented a little victory over the wrath of the storm. The dog and cat suddenly appeared at the scene, alive and hungry.
36. But the blues did occasionally afflict all the adults. Once, in a low mood, John said to his parents, “I wanted you here so that we would all be together, so you could enjoy the children, and look what happened.”
37. His father, who had made up his mind to start a welding shop when living was normal again, said, “Let’s not cry about what’s gone. We’ll just start all over.”
38. “You’re great,” John said. “And this town has a lot of great people in it. It’s going to be better here than it ever was before.”
39. Later, Grandmother Koshak reflected: “We lost practically all our possessions, but the family came through it. When I think of that, I realize we lost nothing important.”
a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots 飓风
lash [læʃ] vt.
strike against with force or violence 猛烈打击
The sleet is lashing the roof. 雨夹雪击打着屋顶。
pummel [ˈpʌm(ə)l] v.
（用拳头连续）击打
The child pummeled his mother angrily as she carried him home. 那孩子因其母带他回家而生气地捶打着母亲。
reluctant [rɪˈlʌktənt] adj.
unwilling; disinclined 不愿意的，勉强的
He was very reluctant to go away. 他很不愿意离去。
abandon [əˈbændən] vt.
a). to leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch 放弃，抛弃：abandon a friend in trouble 抛弃处于危难中的朋友
b). to give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat 离弃，丢弃：abandon the ship 弃船
course [kɔːs] n.
a mode of action or behavior 品行，行为
demolish [dɪˈmɒlɪʃ] vt.
to do away with completely; put an end to 毁坏，破坏
The fire demolished the town. 大火烧毁了这座城镇。
motel [məʊˈtel] n.
a hotel for people who are traveling by car, where you can park your car outside your room 汽车旅馆
gruff [ɡrʌf] adj.
hoarse; harsh 粗糙的，粗哑的
a gruff voice 粗哑的嗓音
batten [ˈbætn] vt.
to furnish, fasten, or secure with battens 用压条固定
methodically [mɪˈθɒdɪk(ə)li] adv.
orderly and systematically 有条理地，有秩序地
He methodically and placidly devoured a loaf of bread. 他有条不紊，不动声色地把一整只面包都吃光了。
main [meɪn] n.
the principal pipe in a system for conveying water, gas, oil, or other utility（自来水、煤气、石油等的）总管道，干线
gas main 煤气总管
bathtub [ˈbɑːθtʌb] n.
a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body 浴缸，澡盆
generator [ˈdʒenəreɪtə] n.
a machine that produces electricity 发电机，发动机
scud [skʌd] vi.
to run or skim along swiftly and easily 飞奔，疾行，掠过
Dark clouds are scudding by. 乌云滚滚而来。
mattress [ˈmætrɪs] n.
a usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft material 床垫，褥子
pane [peɪn] n.
one of the glass-filled divisions of a window or door 窗格玻璃
French door [frentʃ dɔː] n.
two adjoining doors that have glass panes from top to bottom and are hinged at opposite sides of a doorway so that it opens in the middle 法式落地双开门
disintegrate [dɪsˈɪntɪɡreɪt] vt.
to become reduced to components, fragments, or particles 分解，分裂，碎裂
disintegrate the enemy troops 瓦解敌军
blast [blɑːst] n.
a sudden strong movement of wind or air 强风，阵风
A blast of hot air came from the furnace. 一股热风从火炉里吹出来。
douse [daʊs] vt.
to plunge into liquid; immerse 浸泡，使浸透
As a joke, they douse him with a bucket of water. 他们开玩笑，把一桶水泼到他身上了。
brigade [brɪˈɡeɪd] n.
a group of persons organized for a specific purpose 执行特定任务的队伍
fire brigade [ˈfaɪə brɪˈɡeɪd] n.
or fire company, a body of men organized to fight fires, esp. one of a number of such groups constituting a fire department 消防队
scramble [ˈskræmbl] vi.
to move or climb hurriedly, especially on the hands and knees 攀爬，爬
scramble up a steep hillside 爬上陡峭的山坡
litter [ˈlɪtə] n.
the offspring produced at one birth by a multifarious mammal 幼仔，一胎生下的小动物
shudder [ˈʃʌdə] vi.
to shiver convulsively, as from fear or revulsion 战栗，颤抖
I shudder to think what might happen. 我想到可能发生的事而战栗。
ferocity [fəˈrɒsɪti] n.
the state or quality of being ferocious; fierceness 凶恶，残忍，暴行
The rebellion was put down with utmost ferocity. 起义遭到了残酷镇压。
swipe [swaɪp] n.
a sweeping blow or stroke 猛击，重击
She made a swipe at the mosquito. 她挥臂打蚊子。
maroon [məˈruːn] vt.
to put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon 把……放逐到孤岛，（因洪水等）使孤立
During the storm we were marooned in a cabin miles from town. 在风暴中我们被围困在离城数英里的小屋内。
devastate [ˈdevəsteɪt] vt.
to lay waste; destroy 使荒芜，破坏
A long war devastated Europe. 长期的战争破坏了欧洲。
swath [swɒθ] n.
the width of a scythe stroke or a mowing-machine blade 刈幅（挥动镰刀所及的面积）
The storm cut a wide swath through the town. 暴风雨席卷全城，造成很大的破坏。
moorings [ˈmʊərɪŋs] n.
(of ten pl.) lines, cables, etc. by which a ship is fastened to the land or the bottom of the sea 停泊处
crack [kræk] v.
a). to break or snap apart 断裂，折断：The mirror cracked. 镜子破裂了。
b). to cause to break without complete separation of parts 使裂开：crack the glass 敲碎玻璃
snap [snæp] vi.
to break suddenly with a brisk, sharp, cracking sound 突然折断，啪的一声折断
A branch snapped off the tree in the wind. 大风中一条树枝啪地从树上断落。
vacationer [vəˈkeɪʃənə(r)] n.
a person taking a vacation, esp. one who is traveling or at a resort 度假者，休假者
vantage point [ˈvɑːntɪdʒ pɔɪnt] n.
a position that allows a clear and broad view 有利地势，绝佳的位置
gigantic [dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk] adj.
very large or extensive 巨大的，庞大的
He made a last gigantic effort. 他做了最后一次巨大的努力。
huddle [ˈhʌdl] vi.
to crowd together, as from cold or fear 挤在一起
They huddled together for warmth. 他们挤成一团取暖。
slashing [ˈslæʃɪŋ] adj.
severe; merciless, violent 严厉的，猛烈的
a slashing criticism 严厉的批评
implore [ɪmˈplɔː] vt.
to appeal to in supplication; beseech 恳求，哀求
implore sb. for mercy 恳求某人怜悯
bar [bɑː(r)] n.
a vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; a measure 小节线（把五线谱分成相等节拍的竖线）；小节
trail [treɪl] vi.
to become gradually fainter; dwindle 减弱，减小
His voice trailed off in confusion. 困惑中他的声音逐渐变小。
debris [ˈdebriː] n.
a rough, broken bit and piece of a stone, wood, glass, etc. as after destruction; rubble 碎片，瓦砾
After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere. 轰炸过后到处是一片残骸。
sanctuary [ˈsæŋktjuəri] n.
a place of refuge or asylum 避难所，躲避处
The fleeing rebels found a sanctuary in the nearby church. 正在逃窜的反叛分子在附近的教堂里避难。
cedar [ˈsiːdə] n.
any of several Old World evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus, having stiff needles on short shoots and large, erect seed cones with broad deciduous scales 雪松
extinguish [ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ] vt.
to put out (a fire, for example); quench 熄灭，扑灭
extinguish a fire 灭火
waver [ˈweɪvə] vi.
a). to move unsteadily back and forth 摇晃，摇曳
b). to become unsteady or unsure; falter 动摇
His resolve began to waver. 他的决心开始动摇了。
topple [ˈtɒpl] vi.
to lean over as if about to fall 倾倒，摇摇欲坠
The house threatened to topple over. 房子有倒塌的危险。
lean-to [ˈliːntuː] n.
a roof with a single slope, its upper edge abutting a wall or building; a shed with a one-slope roof 单披屋顶
prop [prɒp] vt.
to support by placing something beneath or against; shore up 支撑，维持
We should prop up the fence. 我们应该用东西支撑住这栅栏。
tilt [tɪlt] vt.
to slope; incline 倾斜，倾倒
tilt a soup bowl 把汤碗倾斜
cower [ˈkaʊə] vi.
crouch or huddle up, as from fear or cold（因害怕或寒冷而）蜷缩，退缩
The dog cowered under the table when his master raised the whip. 主人举起鞭子时，狗蜷缩在桌子下边。
slant [slɑːnt] v.
to give a direction other than perpendicular or horizontal to; make diagonal; cause to slope（使）倾斜，歪向
hinge [hɪndʒ] n.
a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other 铰链，折叶
diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] vt.
to make smaller or less or to cause to appear so 减少，逐渐减小
diminish the cost of production 减小生产成本
thrust [θrʌst] n.
a forceful shove or push 猛推
He thrust his hands into his trouser pockets. 他把双手插在裤子的口袋里。
strew [struː] vt.
to spread here and there; scatter 撒布，散播；被撒满（表面）
Autumn leaves strewed the lawn. 草地上撒满了秋叶。
festoon [feˈstuːn] vt.
to decorate with or as if with festoons; hang festoons on 结彩，用花彩装饰
a square festooned with electric lights 张灯结彩的广场
coil [kɔɪl] v.
to wind in concentric rings or spirals 盘绕，卷
spaghetti [spəˈɡeti] n.
a pasta made into long solid strings and cooked by boiling 实心面条
salvation [sælˈveɪʃən] n.
preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil 救助，解救
Government loans have been the salvation of several shaky business companies. 政府贷款挽救了几家濒临倒闭的公司。
canteen [kænˈtiːn] n.
a temporary or mobile eating place, especially one set up in an emergency 赈灾处
staffer [ˈstɑːfə(r)] n.
a member of a staff 职员
rake [reɪk] vi.
to scrape or sweep; move forward swiftly 掠过，迅速向前移动
rake the enemy lines with machine-gun fire 用机枪扫射敌人的防线
rampage [ˈræmpeɪdʒ] vi.
to move about wildly or violently 横冲直撞
He could not lie still, but rampaged up and down his bedroom. 他不能静静地躺着，而在卧室里冲来撞去。
rampaging [ˈræmpeɪdʒɪŋ] n.
rushing violently or wildly about 狂乱，暴躁
pitch [pɪtʃ] v.
a). to throw something with a lot of force, often aiming carefully 投，扔，抛掷：He was pitching the ball. 他正在投球。
b). to fall or be moved suddenly in a particular direction 突然倒下：His foot was caught in a rock and he pitched forwards. 他的脚被岩石绊了一下，身子就朝前倒下。
incomprehensible [ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensəbl] adj.
difficult or impossible to understand or comprehend; unintelligible 不能理解的
incomprehensible jargon 难以理解的行话
wreckage [ˈrekɪdʒ] n.
the debris of something wrecked 残骸
salvage [ˈsælvɪdʒ] vt.
to save from loss or destruction 抢救，打捞
salvage a sunken ship 打捞沉船
wrath [rɒθ] n.
forceful, often vindictive anger 愤怒，愤慨
A soft answer turned away wrath. 和蔼的回答平息了愤怒。
the blues [bluːz] n.
a depressed, unhappy feeling 沮丧，忧郁
afflict [əˈflɪkt] vt.
to inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on 使痛苦，折磨
Famine and war still afflict mankind. 饥饿和战争仍使人类遭受痛苦。
weld [weld] vt.
to join (metals) by applying heat, sometimes with pressure and sometimes with an intermediate or filler metal having a high melting point 焊接，熔接
He welded the broken rod. 他焊接一根断了的杆子。
reflect [rɪˈflekt] v.
a). to form an image of (an object); mirror or manifest 反映，表明
Her work reflects intelligence. 她的工作显示出她的智慧。
b). to think seriously; contemplate 认真思考，深思熟虑
She reflects on her country’s place in history. 她认真思考她的国家在历史中的地位。
a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving a 73-136 knots
lash [læʃ] vt.
strike against with force or violence
The sleet is lashing the roof.
pummel [ˈpʌm(ə)l] v.
The child pummeled his mother angrily as she carried him home.
reluctant [rɪˈlʌktənt] adj.
unwilling; disinclined
He was very reluctant to go away.
abandon [əˈbændən] vt.
a). to leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch: abandon a friend in trouble
b). to give up by leaving or ceasing to operate or inhabit, especially as a result of danger or other impending threat: abandon the ship
course [kɔːs] n.
a mode of action or behavior
demolish [dɪˈmɒlɪʃ] vt.
to do away with completely; put an end to
The fire demolished the town.
motel [məʊˈtel] n.
a hotel for people who are traveling by car, where you can park your car outside your room
gruff [ɡrʌf] adj.
hoarse; harsh
a gruff voice
batten [ˈbætn] vt.
to furnish, fasten, or secure with battens
methodically [mɪˈθɒdɪk(ə)li] adv.
orderly and systematically
He methodically and placidly devoured a loaf of bread.
main [meɪn] n.
the principal pipe in a system for conveying water, gas, oil, or other utility
gas main
bathtub [ˈbɑːθtʌb] n.
a relatively large open container that you fill with water and use to wash the body
generator [ˈdʒenəreɪtə] n.
a machine that produces electricity
scud [skʌd] vi.
to run or skim along swiftly and easily
Dark clouds are scudding by.
mattress [ˈmætrɪs] n.
a usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft material
pane [peɪn] n.
one of the glass-filled divisions of a window or door
French door [frentʃ dɔː] n.
two adjoining doors that have glass panes from top to bottom and are hinged at opposite sides of a doorway so that it opens in the middle
disintegrate [dɪsˈɪntɪɡreɪt] vt.
to become reduced to components, fragments, or particles
disintegrate the enemy troops
blast [blɑːst] n.
a sudden strong movement of wind or air
A blast of hot air came from the furnace.
douse [daʊs] vt.
to plunge into liquid; immerse
As a joke, they douse him with a bucket of water.
brigade [brɪˈɡeɪd] n.
a group of persons organized for a specific purpose
fire brigade [ˈfaɪə brɪˈɡeɪd] n.
or fire company, a body of men organized to fight fires, esp. one of a number of such groups constituting a fire department
scramble [ˈskræmbl] vi.
to move or climb hurriedly, especially on the hands and knees
scramble up a steep hillside
litter [ˈlɪtə] n.
the offspring produced at one birth by a multifarious mammal
shudder [ˈʃʌdə] vi.
to shiver convulsively, as from fear or revulsion
I shudder to think what might happen.
ferocity [fəˈrɒsɪti] n.
the state or quality of being ferocious; fierceness
The rebellion was put down with utmost ferocity.
swipe [swaɪp] n.
a sweeping blow or stroke
She made a swipe at the mosquito.
maroon [məˈruːn] vt.
to put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon
During the storm we were marooned in a cabin miles from town.
devastate [ˈdevəsteɪt] vt.
to lay waste; destroy
A long war devastated Europe.
swath [swɒθ] n.
the width of a scythe stroke or a mowing-machine blade
The storm cut a wide swath through the town.
moorings [ˈmʊərɪŋs] n.
(of ten pl.) lines, cables, etc. by which a ship is fastened to the land or the bottom of the sea
crack [kræk] v.
a). to break or snap apart: The mirror cracked.
b). to cause to break without complete separation of parts: crack the glass
snap [snæp] vi.
to break suddenly with a brisk, sharp, cracking sound
A branch snapped off the tree in the wind.
vacationer [vəˈkeɪʃənə(r)] n.
a person taking a vacation, esp. one who is traveling or at a resort
vantage point [ˈvɑːntɪdʒ pɔɪnt] n.
a position that allows a clear and broad view
gigantic [dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk] adj.
very large or extensive
He made a last gigantic effort.
huddle [ˈhʌdl] vi.
to crowd together, as from cold or fear
They huddled together for warmth.
slashing [ˈslæʃɪŋ] adj.
severe; merciless, violent
a slashing criticism
implore [ɪmˈplɔː] vt.
to appeal to in supplication; beseech
implore sb. for mercy
bar [bɑː(r)] n.
a vertical line dividing a staff into equal measures; a measure
trail [treɪl] vi.
to become gradually fainter; dwindle
His voice trailed off in confusion.
debris [ˈdebriː] n.
a rough, broken bit and piece of a stone, wood, glass, etc. as after destruction; rubble
After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.
sanctuary [ˈsæŋktjuəri] n.
a place of refuge or asylum
The fleeing rebels found a sanctuary in the nearby church.
cedar [ˈsiːdə] n.
any of several Old World evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus, having stiff needles on short shoots and large, erect seed cones with broad deciduous scales
extinguish [ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ] vt.
to put out (a fire, for example); quench
extinguish a fire
waver [ˈweɪvə] vi.
a). to move unsteadily back and forth
b). to become unsteady or unsure; falter
His resolve began to waver.
topple [ˈtɒpl] vi.
to lean over as if about to fall
The house threatened to topple over.
lean-to [ˈliːntuː] n.
a roof with a single slope, its upper edge abutting a wall or building; a shed with a one-slope roof
prop [prɒp] vt.
to support by placing something beneath or against; shore up
We should prop up the fence.
tilt [tɪlt] vt.
to slope; incline
tilt a soup bowl
cower [ˈkaʊə] vi.
crouch or huddle up, as from fear or cold
The dog cowered under the table when his master raised the whip.
slant [slɑːnt] v.
to give a direction other than perpendicular or horizontal to; make diagonal; cause to slope
hinge [hɪndʒ] n.
a joint that holds two parts together so that one can swing relative to the other
diminish [dɪˈmɪnɪʃ] vt.
to make smaller or less or to cause to appear so
diminish the cost of production
thrust [θrʌst] n.
a forceful shove or push
He thrust his hands into his trouser pockets.
strew [struː] vt.
to spread here and there; scatter
Autumn leaves strewed the lawn.
festoon [feˈstuːn] vt.
to decorate with or as if with festoons; hang festoons on
a square festooned with electric lights
coil [kɔɪl] v.
to wind in concentric rings or spirals
spaghetti [spəˈɡeti] n.
a pasta made into long solid strings and cooked by boiling
salvation [sælˈveɪʃən] n.
preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil
Government loans have been the salvation of several shaky business companies.
canteen [kænˈtiːn] n.
a temporary or mobile eating place, especially one set up in an emergency
staffer [ˈstɑːfə(r)] n.
a member of a staff
rake [reɪk] vi.
to scrape or sweep; move forward swiftly
rake the enemy lines with machine-gun fire
rampage [ˈræmpeɪdʒ] vi.
to move about wildly or violently
He could not lie still, but rampaged up and down his bedroom.
rampaging [ˈræmpeɪdʒɪŋ] n.
rushing violently or wildly about
pitch [pɪtʃ] v.
a). to throw something with a lot of force, often aiming carefully: He was pitching the ball.
b). to fall or be moved suddenly in a particular direction: His foot was caught in a rock and he pitched forwards.
incomprehensible [ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhensəbl] adj.
difficult or impossible to understand or comprehend; unintelligible
incomprehensible jargon
wreckage [ˈrekɪdʒ] n.
the debris of something wrecked
salvage [ˈsælvɪdʒ] vt.
to save from loss or destruction
salvage a sunken ship
wrath [rɒθ] n.
forceful, often vindictive anger
A soft answer turned away wrath.
the blues [bluːz] n.
a depressed, unhappy feeling
afflict [əˈflɪkt] vt.
to inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on
Famine and war still afflict mankind.
weld [weld] vt.
to join (metals) by applying heat, sometimes with pressure and sometimes with an intermediate or filler metal having a high melting point
He welded the broken rod.
reflect [rɪˈflekt] v.
a). to form an image of (an object); mirror or manifest
Her work reflects intelligence.
b). to think seriously; contemplate
She reflects on her country’s place in history.