Our families camped together once a month, so when the Fourth of July fell on our scheduled weekend, we never gave it a thought not to proceed with our plans. The drive to Rehoboth Beach took six hours, counting four bathroom stops for three children and two women and two men who swore they would lay off the water.
The campsite was five miles from the pristine1 shoreline and boardwalk. We couldn't wait to dig our toes into the warm sand. Our daughter was seven at the time and our friends' daughters were eight and three. We packed enough toys, beach towels, and tanning lotion2 to last three weekends.
After pitching our tents and setting up camp, the seven of us piled into our cars and began the hunt for parking spaces closest to the water so that the men would not have to resort to camel-like behavior when hauling our supplies to the beach.
We staked our claim on the remaining ten feet of sand and sent the children to the ocean's edge. Our striped towels and white flesh blended with the thousands of other sun worshipers. Music blared from cranked-up radios while Frisbees whizzed overhead. Fair-haired recruits in muscle shirts hawked3 their ice cream sandwiches and cold soda4 while I poured lukewarm Kool-Aid.
提升作文素養(yǎng)，尋找作文素材，就來<A http://www.zequeka.cn/yuwEnsuyang/>易優(yōu)作文素養(yǎng)</a>。
From where I reclined, I had a clear view of the three girls splashing near the water. They chased the waves and tunneled into the wet sand, building castle after castle. It took extreme persuasion5 to convince them to relinquish6 the sea long enough to split soggy sandwiches with us. Periodically, the men would drop their books and leap into an incoming wave while capturing an unsuspecting child. I could only imagine the giggles7 above the beach clatter8.
After hours of play - and sunburned feet - we motioned for the girls to join us. I packed the towels and lotion while my best friend packed the toys and food. We each had our responsibilities but neglected the most important one. My daughter and her eldest9 daughter arrived by our side. Their youngest girl didn't.
We locked eyes. Our previously10 orderly world shrunk to the beach and the thousands of people strewn around us. Instinct jolted11 us into action. We screamed her name and pushed past bathers and tanners, frantic12 to find a missing child in a green bathing suit. Each second ticked by as though specifically designed to torment13 us.
易優(yōu)作文網(wǎng)名師改作文（http://www.zequeka.cn/jiaoshoulanmu/ ）,易優(yōu)作文評(píng)分系統(tǒng)，易優(yōu)作文打分系統(tǒng)。
"Angela!" My head snapped as the perfect picture of a mother and daughter reuniting exploded in my vision. I wanted to fall to the ground and weep amid the mass of strangers who had been unsuspecting participants in a drama unfolding before them.
Since that day, I've relived those five minutes of fear at Rehoboth Beach too many times. I relived them each time my daughter hid from me behind a store fixture14 or ventured out alone in the car after passing her driver's test. I relived them when she was late returning home from dates and when she married and moved to a city far from my reach.
Years later, we relocated to Florida, where once a month we frequent the swarming15 beaches of Daytona. My husband and I rent beach chairs and an umbrella and stake our claim along with the other beach lovers hoping for a relaxing time in the sun. Invariably, I spy a child dropping his bucket to search for his own cluster of recognizable faces. My heart freezes until I witness the mother wrapping her arms around him again. Only then do I breathe and rejoin the masses. 作文網(wǎng)推薦，<a http://www.zequeka.cn>易優(yōu)作文網(wǎng)</a>，中小學(xué)生學(xué)語文閱讀寫作的好幫手
1 pristine
adj.原來的，古時(shí)的，原始的，純凈的，無垢的
參考例句：
He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那塊潔凈的手帕擦手指。 He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的過去。
2 lotion
n.洗劑
參考例句：
The lotion should be applied sparingly to the skin.這種洗液應(yīng)均勻地涂在皮膚上。 She lubricates her hands with a lotion.她用一種洗劑來滑潤她的手。
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3 hawked
通過叫賣主動(dòng)兜售（hawk的過去式與過去分詞形式）
參考例句：
Some were haggling loudly with traders as they hawked their wares. 有些人正在大聲同兜售貨物的商販講價(jià)錢。 The peddler hawked his wares from door to door. 小販挨戶叫賣貨物。
4 soda
n.蘇打水；汽水
參考例句：
She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜歡喝巧克力汽水。 I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我給你的飲料重加一些蘇打水和冰塊。
5 persuasion 在線批改作文，<a href=http://www.zequeka.cn/jiaoshoulanmu/>易優(yōu)名師作文批改</a>
n.勸說；說服；持有某種信仰的宗派
參考例句：
He decided to leave only after much persuasion.經(jīng)過多方勸說，他才決定離開。 After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.經(jīng)過多次勸說后，她同意去了。
6 relinquish
v.放棄，撤回，讓與，放手
參考例句：
He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放棄公司的掌控權(quán)。 They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他們絕對(duì)不會(huì)自動(dòng)放棄獨(dú)立。
7 giggles
n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )；傻笑；玩笑；the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人稱單數(shù) )
參考例句：
Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神經(jīng)質(zhì)的傻笑把我惹火了。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》 I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不沖向衛(wèi)生間，以免遭到別人的瘋狂嘲笑。 來自辭典例句
8 clatter
v./n.(使)發(fā)出連續(xù)而清脆的撞擊聲
參考例句：
The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁當(dāng)當(dāng)?shù)?。 Don't clatter your knives and forks.別把刀叉碰得咔噠響。
9 eldest
adj.最年長的，最年老的
參考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.國王的長子是王位的繼承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由長子繼承。
10 previously
adv.以前，先前（地）
參考例句：
The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行車胎在以前損壞過的地方又爆開了。 Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.讓我岔開一會(huì)兒，解釋原先發(fā)生了什么。
11 jolted
（使）搖動(dòng)， （使）震驚( jolt的過去式和過去分詞 )
參考例句：
The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡車嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上顛簸而行。 She was jolted out of her reverie as the door opened. 門一開就把她從幻想中驚醒。
12 frantic
adj.狂亂的，錯(cuò)亂的，激昂的
參考例句：
I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地趕完工作。 He made frantic dash for the departing train.他發(fā)瘋似地沖向正開出的火車。
13 torment
n.折磨；令人痛苦的東西(人)；vt.折磨；糾纏
參考例句：
He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他從未經(jīng)受過遭人拒絕的痛苦。 Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.沒有什么東西比人們的互相折磨更使我憤怒。
14 fixture
n.固定設(shè)備；預(yù)定日期；比賽時(shí)間；定期存款
參考例句：
Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必須立即安裝照明設(shè)備。 The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.無繩電熱水壺現(xiàn)在可能是多數(shù)廚房的固定設(shè)備。
15 swarming
密集( swarm的現(xiàn)在分詞 )； 云集； 成群地移動(dòng)； 蜜蜂或其他飛行昆蟲成群地飛來飛去
參考例句：
The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里長滿了蟲子。 The beach is swarming with bathers. 海灘滿是海水浴的人
