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Yann Martel's Life of Pi 139 words

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  1. three-toed sloth
    a sloth that has three long claws on each forefoot and each hindfoot
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  2. sloth
    a disinclination to work or exert yourself
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  3. two-toed sloth
    a sloth of Central America that has two long claws on each forefoot and three long claws on each hindfoot
    There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws.
  4. harpy eagle
    large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America
    Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
  5. sambar
    a deer of southern Asia with antlers that have three tines
    My sambar lost its taste.
  6. Kabbalist
    a student of the Jewish Kabbalah
    My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.
  7. unmotivated
    without motivation
    Unmotivated, it covers four to five metres in an hour.
  8. ocelot
    nocturnal wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat
    Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
  9. zoology
    the branch of biology that studies animals
    My majors were religious studies and zoology.
  10. motivate
    give an incentive for action
    On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.
  11. taste bud
    an oval sensory end organ on the surface of the tongue
    My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savouring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gm.
  12. sense of smell
    the faculty that enables us to distinguish scents
    On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.
  13. acuity
    sharpness of vision; the visual ability to resolve fine detail (usually measured by a Snellen chart)
    On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.
  14. Lakshmi
    Hindu goddess of fortune and prosperity
    If Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, one day favours me bountifully, Oxford is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.
  15. thyroid gland
    located near the base of the neck
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  16. white ant
    whitish soft-bodied ant-like social insect that feeds on wood
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  17. forepaw
    front paw; analogous to the human hand
    There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws.
  18. cheetah
    long-legged spotted cat of Africa and southwestern Asia having nonretractile claws; the swiftest mammal; can be trained to run down game
    On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.
  19. motivated
    provided with a motive or given incentive for action
    On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.
  20. overestimate
    make too high an estimate of
    And the sloth's slightly better sense of smell should not be overestimated.
  21. blood test
    a serologic analysis of a sample of blood
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.
  22. yogi
    one who practices yoga and has achieved a high level of spiritual insight
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  23. anemic
    relating to anemia or suffering from anemia
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.
  24. cosmogony
    the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe
    My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.
  25. algae
    primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  26. atheistic
    related to or characterized by or given to atheism
    Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and baseball when they are not preoccupied with science.
  27. anaconda
    large arboreal boa of tropical South America
    Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
  28. introspective
    given to examining own sensory and perceptual experiences
    I chose the sloth because its demeanour-calm, quiet and introspective-did something to soothe my shattered self.
  29. harpy
    any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes
    Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
  30. snicker
    laugh quietly
    The skull snickers and moves ever closer, but that doesn't surprise me.
  31. thesis
    an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument
    My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.
  32. thyroid
    located near the base of the neck
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  33. agnostic
    a person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)
    A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.
  34. skull
    the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates
    My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.
  35. governor general
    a governor of high rank
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  36. muddle
    make into a puddle
    A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.
  37. jaguar
    a large spotted feline of tropical America similar to the leopard; in some classifications considered a member of the genus Felis
    Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm's way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
  38. nausea
    the state that precedes vomiting
    Within a couple of days I could stand, even make two, three steps, despite nausea, dizziness and general weakness.
  39. potassium
    a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.
  40. memento
    a reminder of past events
    My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.
  41. thrall
    the state of being under the control of another person
    A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.
  42. functional
    designed for or capable of a particular function or use
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  43. academic
    associated with academia or an academy
    Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.
  44. award
    give, especially as an honor or reward
    I got every possible student award from the Department of Zoology.
  45. sodium
    a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt)
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.
  46. sniff
    perceive by inhaling through the nose
    They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".
  47. incoherent
    without logical or meaningful connection
    The first time I turned a tap on, its noisy, wasteful, superabundant gush was such a shock that I became incoherent and my legs collapsed beneath me and I fainted in the arms of a nurse.
  48. urine
    liquid excretory product
    My urine was a deep, dark yellow going on to brown.
  49. blanch
    turn pale, as if in fear
    I blanched.
  50. decay
    the organic phenomenon of rotting
    They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".
  51. invert
    turn inside out or upside down
    I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful.
  52. Mecca
    joint capital (with Riyadh) of Saudi Arabia; located in western Saudi Arabia; as the birthplace of Muhammad it is the holiest city of Islam
    If Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, one day favours me bountifully, Oxford is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.
  53. elicit
    call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
    Beebe reported that firing guns next to sleeping or feeding sloths elicited little reaction.
  54. biological
    pertaining to biology or to life and living things
    The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity -- it's envy.
  55. undergraduate
    a university student who has not yet received a first degree
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  56. lizard
    relatively long-bodied reptile with usually two pairs of legs and a tapering tail
    I miss the heat of India, the food, the house lizards on the walls, the musicals on the silver screen, the cows wandering the streets, the crows cawing, even the talk of cricket matches, but I love Canada.
  57. remind
    put in the mind of someone
    A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.
  58. gland
    any of various organs that synthesize substances needed by the body and release it through ducts or directly into the bloodstream
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  59. graft
    (surgery) tissue or organ transplanted from a donor to a recipient; in some cases the patient can be both donor and recipient
    I looked as if I had been grafted with a pair of elephant legs.
  60. oblivion
    the state of being disregarded or forgotten
    But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.
  61. soothe
    cause to feel better
    I chose the sloth because its demeanour-calm, quiet and introspective-did something to soothe my shattered self.
  62. recipient
    a person who receives something
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  63. projecting
    extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  64. scientist
    a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
    A number of my fellow religious-studies students-muddled agnostics who didn't know which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool's gold for the bright -- reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God. I never had problems with my fellow scientists.
  65. normally
    under normal conditions
    After a week or so, I could walk just about normally and I could wear shoes if I didn't lace them up.
  66. major
    greater in scope or effect
    After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree.
  67. probe
    an exploratory action or expedition
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  68. nonetheless
    despite anything to the contrary (usually following a concession)
    I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful.
  69. relaxed
    without strain or anxiety
    The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense.
  70. collapse
    break down, literally or metaphorically
    The first time I turned a tap on, its noisy, wasteful, superabundant gush was such a shock that I became incoherent and my legs collapsed beneath me and I fainted in the arms of a nurse.
  71. foliage
    the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  72. fluid
    continuous amorphous matter that tends to flow and to conform to the outline of its container: a liquid or a gas
    My body retained fluids and my legs swelled up tremendously.
  73. claw
    sharp curved horny process on the toe of a bird or some mammals or reptiles
    There are two-toed sloths and there are three-toed sloths, the case being determined by the forepaws of the animals, since all sloths have three claws on their hind paws.
  74. meditation
    continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  75. trifling
    not worth considering
    When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.
  76. scar
    a mark left (usually on the skin) by the healing of injured tissue
    My skin healed, though I still have scars on my shoulders and back.
  77. intrigue
    a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
    It is a highly intriguing creature.
  78. bough
    any of the larger branches of a tree
    It moves along the bough of a tree in its characteristic upside-down position at the speed of roughly 400 metres an hour.
  79. blend
    mix together different elements
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  80. temperament
    your usual mood
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  81. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  82. survive
    continue in existence after (an adversity, etc.)
    How does it survive you might ask.
  83. jungle
    an impenetrable equatorial forest
    I had the great luck one summer of studying the three-toed sloth in situ in the equatorial jungles of Brazil.
  84. analysis
    the abstract separation of a whole into its constituent parts in order to study the parts and their relations
    My zoology thesis was a functional analysis of the thyroid gland of the three-toed sloth.
  85. swarm
    a group of many things in the air or on the ground
    We found them still in place late the next morning, the water of the dishes swarming with insects.
  86. repose
    freedom from activity (work or strain or responsibility)
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  87. relax
    make less taut
    The sloth is at its busiest at sunset, using the word busy here in the most relaxed sense.
  88. insect
    small air-breathing arthropod
    We found them still in place late the next morning, the water of the dishes swarming with insects.
  89. goddess
    a female deity
    If Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, one day favours me bountifully, Oxford is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.
  90. environment
    the totality of surrounding conditions
    The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment.
  91. cancer
    any malignant growth or tumor caused by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division; it may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream
    Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.
  92. inhabit
    inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of
    It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.
  93. retained
    continued in your keeping or use or memory
    My body retained fluids and my legs swelled up tremendously.
  94. practice
    a customary way of operation or behavior
    Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.
  95. branch
    a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant
    They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock (1968) reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often".
  96. mock
    treat with contempt
    I mock this skull.
  97. bud
    a partially opened flower
    My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savouring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gm.
  98. habit
    an established custom
    Its only real habit is indolence.
  99. peaceful
    not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war
    The three-toed sloth lives a peaceful, vegetarian life in perfect harmony with its environment.
  100. reaction
    an idea evoked by some experience
    Beebe reported that firing guns next to sleeping or feeding sloths elicited little reaction.
  101. Jerusalem
    capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel (although its status as capital is disputed); it was captured from Jordan in 1967 in the Six Day War; a holy city for Jews and Christians and Muslims; was the capital of an ancient kingdom
    If Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, one day favours me bountifully, Oxford is fifth on the list of cities I would like to visit before I pass on, after Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem and Paris.
  102. human
    any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  103. university
    a large and diverse institution of higher learning created to educate for life and for a profession and to grant degrees
    After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree.
  104. additional
    further or added
    When you've suffered a great deal in life, each additional pain is both unbearable and trifling.
  105. intelligent
    having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree
    It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.
  106. trunk
    the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
    I would have received the Governor General's Academic Medal, the University of Toronto's highest undergraduate award, of which no small number of illustrious Canadians have been recipients, were it not for a beef-eating pink boy with a neck like a tree trunk and a temperament of unbearable good cheer.
  107. intense
    possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  108. mortal
    subject to death
    If I got none from the Department of Religious Studies, it is simply because there are no student awards in this department (the rewards of religious study are not in mortal hands, we all know that).
  109. wild
    in a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated
    Our team tested the sleep habits of five wild three-toed sloths by placing on their heads, in the early evening after they had fallen asleep, bright red plastic dishes filled with water.
  110. rate
    a quantity or amount or measure considered as a proportion of another quantity or amount or measure
    On the ground, it crawls to its next tree at the rate of 250 metres an hour, when motivated, which is 440 times slower than a motivated cheetah.
  111. steady
    securely in position; not shaky
    Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly brought me back to life.
  112. criminal
    someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
    They froze like criminals caught in the act.
  113. aspect
    a characteristic to be considered
    My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.
  114. ambition
    a strong drive for success
    My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.
  115. retain
    secure and keep for possible future use or application
    My body retained fluids and my legs swelled up tremendously.
  116. scale
    an ordered reference standard
    On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.
  117. represent
    be a delegate or spokesperson for; represent somebody's interest or be a proxy or substitute for, as of politicians and office holders representing their constituents, or of a tenant representing other tenants in a housing dispute
    On a scale of 2 to 10, where 2 represents unusual dullness and 10 extreme acuity, Beebe (1926) gave the sloth's senses of taste, touch, and its sense of smell a rating of 3.
  118. shelter
    protective covering that provides protection from the weather
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  119. despite
    contemptuous disregard
    Within a couple of days I could stand, even make two, three steps, despite nausea, dizziness and general weakness.
  120. accident
    an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
    Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.
  121. instrument
    the means whereby some act is accomplished
    I had hardly ever used such instruments.
  122. wander
    to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
    I miss the heat of India, the food, the house lizards on the walls, the musicals on the silver screen, the cows wandering the streets, the crows cawing, even the talk of cricket matches, but I love Canada.
  123. leap
    move forward by leaps and bounds
    But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.
  124. average
    an intermediate scale value regarded as normal or usual
    It sleeps or rests on average twenty hours a day.
  125. victim
    an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
    Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.
  126. abandon
    forsake, leave behind
    I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once.
  127. reveal
    make visible
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.
  128. Spanish
    of or relating to or characteristic of Spain or the people of Spain
    Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish.
  129. couple
    two items of the same kind
    Within a couple of days I could stand, even make two, three steps, despite nausea, dizziness and general weakness.
  130. project
    a planned undertaking
    I am not one given to projecting human traits and emotions onto animals, but many a time during that month in Brazil, up at sloths in repose, I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.
  131. European
    of or relating to or characteristic of Europe or the people of Europe
    My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition.
  132. theory
    a belief that can guide behavior
    My fourth-year thesis for religious studies concerned certain aspects of the cosmogony theory of Isaac Luria, the great sixteenth-century Kabbalist from Safed.
  133. necessity
    the condition of being essential or indispensable
    The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity -- it's envy.
  134. team
    a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
    Our team tested the sleep habits of five wild three-toed sloths by placing on their heads, in the early evening after they had fallen asleep, bright red plastic dishes filled with water.
  135. patient
    enduring trying circumstances with even temper or characterized by such endurance
    And the patients, too.
  136. surround
    extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
    A sloth's hairs shelter an algae that is brown during the dry season and green during the wet season, so the animal blends in with the surrounding moss and foliage and looks like a nest of white ants or of squirrels, or like nothing at all but part of a tree.
  137. slight
    (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with `a') at least some
    I still smart a little at the slight.
  138. surprise
    come upon or take unawares
    The skull snickers and moves ever closer, but that doesn't surprise me.
  139. level
    a relative position or degree of value in a graded group
    Blood tests revealed that I was anemic, and that my level of sodium was very high and my potassium low.