Mud Bath
Jack looked over the edge of the riverbank.
Annie had fallen into a pool of mud near the water.The thick black mud was up to her chest
"I slipped,"she said."It feels like quicksand."Jack threw down his pack and got on his knees."Be careful,"said Annie."Don't slip,too."
Jack pointed to a tangle of old tree roots sticking out of the bank."Grab those!"he said.
- fall： /fɔːl/ ，过去式为“fell” ，过去分词为“fallen” ，此处作动词，意为“摔倒；掉落” 。例句：Leaves fall from the trees in autumn.（秋天树叶从树上掉落。）
- mud： /mʌd/ ，名词，意为“泥；泥浆” 。例句：The children played in the mud after the rain.（孩子们在雨后的泥地里玩耍。 ）
- thick： /θɪk/ ，形容词，此处意为“浓密的；厚的” 。例句：The fog was so thick that we couldn't see the road.（雾很浓，我们看不见路。 ）
- chest： /tʃest/ ，名词，意为“胸部；胸膛” 。例句：He has a strong chest from doing a lot of exercise.（他因为经常锻炼有强壮的胸膛。 ）
- slip： /slɪp/ ，动词，意为“滑倒；滑跤” 。例句：Be careful not to slip on the wet floor.（小心别在潮湿的地板上滑倒。 ）
- quicksand： /ˈkwɪksænd/ ，名词，意为“流沙” 。例句：The traveler was afraid of getting stuck in the quicksand.（旅行者害怕陷入流沙中。 ）
- tangle： /ˈtæŋɡl/ ，名词，意为“缠结；混乱的一团” 。例句：There is a tangle of wires behind the TV.（电视机后面有一团乱电线。 ）
- stick out：词组，意为“伸出；突出” 。例句：His ears stick out a lot.（他的耳朵很突出。 ）
- grab： /ɡræb/ ，动词，意为“抓住；攫取” 。例句：He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.（他抓住我的胳膊把我拉了回来。 ）
Annie reached for the roots."Too far,"she said,breathing hard."I'm sinking."
She was sinking.The mud was up to her neck.
"Hold on!"Jack looked around wildly.He saw a fallen tree branch near the bank.
He raced to it,picked it up,and carried it back to Annie.Only her head and arms stuck out of the mud now.
Jack held out the branch.Annie grabbed it.
"Hold tight,"said Jack."I'll drag you over to the roots!"
He started pulling on the branch.
1. roots： /ruːts/ ，名词，root的复数形式，意为“根；根茎” 。例句：The roots of the tree spread deep into the ground.（这棵树的根深深地扎入地下。 ）
2. sinking： /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ ，动词sink的现在分词形式，意为“下沉；沉没” 。例句：The boat is sinking in the stormy sea.（船在波涛汹涌的大海中下沉。 ）
3. neck： /nek/ ，名词，意为“脖子；颈部” 。例句：She wore a beautiful necklace around her neck.（她脖子上戴着一条漂亮的项链。 ）
4. wildly： /ˈwaɪldli/ ，副词，意为“疯狂地；拼命地；失控地” 。例句：He waved his hands wildly to get our attention.（他疯狂地挥手以引起我们的注意。 ）
5. fallen： /ˈfɔːlən/ ，形容词，意为“倒下的；落下的” ，是fall的过去分词形式，也可作形容词。例句：The fallen leaves covered the ground in autumn.（秋天落叶覆盖了地面。 ）
6. raced： /reɪst/ ，动词race的过去式，意为“快速移动；疾走；赛跑” 。例句：He raced to the finish line and won the race.（他快速冲向终点线并赢得了比赛。 ）
7. stuck： /stʌk/ ，动词stick的过去式和过去分词，此处意为“伸出；探出” 。例句：He stuck his head out of the window to look at the scenery.（他把头伸出窗外看风景。 ）
8. grabbed： /ɡræbd/ ，动词grab的过去式，意为“抓住；攫取” 。例句：She grabbed her bag and ran out of the house.（她抓起包就跑出了房子。 ）
9. drag： /dræɡ/ ，动词，意为“拖；拉；拽” 。例句：He dragged the heavy box across the floor.（他把沉重的箱子拖过地板。 ）
"I'm still sinking!"Annie wailed.The mud was up to her chin.
“Come on!"said Jack."You can do it!I know you can!Try!Try!"
Just then,Jack heard a splash!He looked up.
On the other side of the wide river,a wildebeest had jumped into the water.Another jumped ...then another.They were headed right toward Jack and Annie.
"Hold on tight!"said Jack.He pulled on the stick again.
Annie moved a tiny bit.
1. sinking：/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/，动词sink的现在分词形式，意为“下沉；沉没” 。
- 例句：The ship is slowly sinking into the ocean.（这艘船正在慢慢沉入海洋。）
2. wailed：/weɪld/，动词wail的过去式和过去分词，意为“哀号；恸哭；大声抱怨” 。
- 例句：The little girl wailed when she couldn't find her mother.（小女孩找不到妈妈时大声哭了起来。）
3. chin：/tʃɪn/，名词，意为“下巴；颏” 。
- 例句：He has a scar on his chin.（他下巴上有一道伤疤。）
4. splash：/splæʃ/，名词，意为“溅泼声；溅出的液体” ；也可作动词，意为“溅起；泼洒” 。此处为名词用法。
- 例句：I heard a splash as the stone fell into the pond.（石头掉进池塘时，我听到了溅水声。）
5. wildebeest：/ˈwɪldəbiːst/，名词，意为“角马” 。
- 例句：A herd of wildebeest is migrating across the savanna.（一群角马正在穿越稀树草原迁徙。）
6. headed：/ˈhedɪd/，动词head的过去式和过去分词，此处意为“朝（某方向）行进；前往” 。
- 例句：They headed towards the mountains for a hiking trip.（他们朝山区进发，准备进行一次徒步旅行。）
7. tiny：/ˈtaɪni/，形容词，意为“极小的；微小的” 。
- 例句：There is a tiny insect on the leaf.（叶子上有一只小昆虫。 ）
"Hey,Jack,on the moon it felt like I weighed ten pounds,"said Annie."And in this mud it feels like I weigh a ton."
"Concentrate,Annie,"said Jack,trying not to slipdown the bank.
"I am."The lead wildebeests were halfway across,swimming toward them.Many more wildebeests were jumping into the water.
"It's now or never!"said Jack.He took a deep breath He pulled really hard.
Just then,a shadow passed over them.Jack looked up.
1. weighed：/weɪd/，动词weigh的过去式和过去分词，意为“称重量；有……重” 。
- 例句：He weighed the apples on the scale.（他在秤上称苹果的重量。）The package weighed five kilograms.（这个包裹重五千克。）
2. ton：/tʌn/，名词，意为“吨；大量；许多” 。
- 例句：The truck can carry ten tons of goods.（这辆卡车能载十吨货物。）She has a ton of work to do today.（她今天有大量的工作要做。）
3. concentrate：/ˈkɒnsntreɪt/，动词，意为“集中（注意力、思想等）；全神贯注；使浓缩” 。
- 例句：You need to concentrate on your study.（你需要集中精力学习。）Concentrate the juice by boiling it.（通过煮沸将果汁浓缩。）
4. slip down：词组，意为“滑倒；滑下” 。
- 例句：Be careful not to slip down the stairs.（小心别从楼梯上滑下来。）The boy slipped down the slide.（男孩从滑梯上滑了下来。）
5. wildebeests：/ˈwɪldəbiːsts/，名词wildebeest的复数形式，意为“角马” 。
- 例句：A group of wildebeests are moving in the grassland.（一群角马在草原上移动。）
6. halfway：/ˌhɑːfˈweɪ/，副词，意为“在中途；到一半；半路上” ；也可作形容词，意为“中途的；中间的” 。此处为副词用法。
- 例句：We were halfway through the journey when it started to rain.（我们在旅程中途时开始下雨了。）The halfway point of the race is marked by a flag.（比赛的中途点由一面旗帜标明。 ）
"Uh-oh,"he said.
A huge vulture circled overhead."It thinks you're near the end,"said Jack.
"Oh,get out of here!"Annie shouted at the vulture."I'm fine!"
In a burst of fury,she let go of the branch.She lunged for the roots.She grabbed them!
"Yes!"cried Jack."Pull!Pull!"
Slowly,Annie pulled herself out.She was covered with the black mud from head to toe.
Jack helped her onto the bank,getting mud all over himself.
1. vulture：/ˈvʌltʃə(r)/，名词，意为“秃鹫；兀鹰” 。
- 例句：A vulture circled in the sky, looking for food.（一只秃鹫在天空盘旋，寻找食物。）
2. burst：/bɜːst/，名词，意为“爆发；突发；一阵（强烈感情等）” ；也可作动词，意为“爆发；突然出现；爆裂” 。此处为名词用法。
- 例句：A burst of laughter came from the room.（房间里传来一阵笑声。）
3. fury：/ˈfjʊəri/，名词，意为“狂怒；暴怒；激烈” 。
- 例句：She flew into a fury when she heard the news.（她听到这个消息后勃然大怒。）
4. lunged：/lʌndʒd/，动词lunge的过去式和过去分词，意为“猛冲；猛扑；刺” 。
- 例句：He lunged at the thief with his fists.（他挥拳向小偷猛扑过去。）
5. toe：/təʊ/，名词，意为“脚趾；足尖” 。
- 例句：She stubbed her toe on the chair.（她的脚趾撞到了椅子上。）
6. over：/ˈəʊvə(r)/，此处为介词，意为“遍及；覆盖；超过” 。
- 例句：He has mud all over his clothes.（他的衣服上全是泥。）The snow is over a foot deep.（雪有一英尺多深。 ）
“See!"Annie shook her fist at the vulture."I'm fine!Now beat it!"
But the giant,ugly bird still circled.
“Come on.Let's get away from him,”said Jack.He pushed his glasses into place.
"Rats,"he said.Now his glasses were muddy.He tried to clean his hands in the grass.
"Oh,no!"shouted Annie.
Jack turned to her.
"The wildebeests will get stuck in the mudhole!"she cried.She waved her arms at the wildebeests struggling to swim across the river.
“Not here,"she shouted."Not here!”But the frantic swimmers kept coming.
1. beat it：短语，意为“走开；滚蛋”（非正式用语）。
- 例句：He told the noisy kids to beat it.（他让那些吵闹的孩子走开。）
2. giant：/ˈdʒaɪənt/，形容词，意为“巨大的；特大的” ；也可作名词，意为“巨人；巨兽；巨型植物” 。此处为形容词用法。
- 例句：The giant panda is a national treasure of China.（大熊猫是中国的国宝。）
3. circled：/ˈsɜːkld/，动词circle的过去式和过去分词，意为“盘旋；环绕；转圈” 。
- 例句：The plane circled the airport before landing.（飞机在降落前绕着机场盘旋。）
4. muddy：/ˈmʌdi/，形容词，意为“泥泞的；沾满泥的；浑浊的” ；也可作动词，意为“使沾上泥；使变浑浊” 。此处为形容词用法。
- 例句：We walked along the muddy path.（我们沿着泥泞的小路行走。）
5. mudhole：/ˈmʌdhəʊl/，名词，意为“泥坑；泥洞” 。
- 例句：The car got stuck in a mudhole.（汽车陷进了泥坑里。）
6. struggling：/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/，动词struggle的现在分词，意为“挣扎；奋斗；努力；艰难行进” 。
- 例句：The swimmer was struggling in the strong current.（游泳者在强劲的水流中挣扎。）
7. frantic：/ˈfræntɪk/，形容词，意为“狂乱的；疯狂的；拼命的；紧张忙乱的” 。
- 例句：The mother was frantic when she couldn't find her child.（那位母亲找不到孩子时急得发疯。 ）
