I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916: Chapters 1–7

by Lauren Tarshis
In this second book of the historical fiction I Survived series, ten-year-old Chet Roscow does not believe that swimming in a little New Jersey creek would be dangerous, until he sees a gray fin.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–15
30 words 247 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. gleam
    shine brightly, like a star or a light
    The shark was right behind him, its huge jaws wide open, its white dagger teeth gleaming in its bloodred mouth.
  2. humidity
    wetness in the atmosphere
    “You won’t believe it!” said Monty, whose spectacles were fogged up from the humidity.
  3. fancy
    not plain; decorative or ornamented
    Chet had heard about the fine hotels there, and the people who swam in the ocean in their fancy bathing costumes.
  4. rumple
    become wrinkled or creased
    “We’re not foolin’!” Monty said, pulling a rumpled piece of newsprint from his trouser pocket.
  5. exceptional
    surpassing what is common or usual or expected
    Mr. Vansant, known by all as a man of exceptional charm and great promise, was swimming with a dog when the attack occurred.
  6. fatal
    bringing death
    This is the first fatal shark attack on a human ever recorded on the northeastern shore of the United States.
  7. hoax
    something intended to deceive
    “Boys, that article is a hoax,” Uncle Jerry said.
  8. commotion
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    “He made a real commotion, splashing and kicking, even shouting at the sharks. And wouldn’t you know, the sharks swam away. They were scared as rabbits.”
  9. insist
    beg persistently and urgently
    “Please, sir!” Monty said. “Nothing scares us.”
    “We can take it!” Sid insisted.
  10. harpoon
    a spear with a barbed point for catching large fish
    “I had an old harpoon tip in my pocket. I grabbed it. And I stabbed the shark.”
  11. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    Then he stood up and put on his tattered captain’s hat.
  12. pronounce
    cast judgment upon
    “You’re the luckiest kid I know,” Sid pronounced.
  13. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    Uncle Jerry drew Chet a little map so he wouldn’t get lost—a dotted line to the end of Main Street, and then behind the tile factory. Down a steep hill and across a path.
  14. bank
    sloping land, especially the slope beside a body of water
    When they got tired of swimming, they sat on the bank under a big elm tree.
  15. sputter
    spit up in an explosive manner
    He was about to run up to Main Street for help, but then Dewey came up sputtering.
  16. sore
    roused to anger
    “Don’t be sore!”
    They all scrambled out of the water and ran over to him.
    “We were just joking around with you!”
  17. severe
    very bad in degree or extent
    Lifeguards rushed to his rescue, but the young man’s wounds were so severe that he bled to death before they reached shore.
  18. mercy
    a disposition to be kind and forgiving
    But he was no match for the beast, which attacked without mercy.
  19. perish
    pass from physical life
    Before he perished, Bruder was able to tell a remarkable story to his rescuers.
  20. remarkable
    worthy of notice
    Before he perished, Bruder was able to tell a remarkable story to his rescuers.
  21. hefty
    of considerable weight and size
    Then Mr. Colton shifted his hefty body forward on the stool.
  22. relieved
    made easier to bear
    At church on Sunday, Chet went out of his way to say hi to the guys. They seemed relieved that he wasn’t mad anymore.
  23. buggy
    a small lightweight carriage
    “Come swimming with us today,” Sid called as he helped his mother into their buggy.
  24. grudge
    a resentment strong enough to justify retaliation
    “There’s no room in a small town for grudges.”
  25. bookkeeping
    the activity of recording business transactions
    Uncle Jerry was going to the diner to take care of some bookkeeping, and Chet headed home to change.
  26. dribble
    let or cause to fall in drops
    He dribbled some ketchup along the dock—a trail of blood.
  27. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    Then he let out the biggest, loudest scream he could muster.
  28. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    He screamed like he was terrified, like he was in agony.
  29. hideous
    so extremely ugly as to be terrifying
    He poked his head through the reeds, not all
 the way through, just enough for the guys to catch a glimpse of a hideous head covered with black slime.
  30. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    Sid glared at him a few more seconds. And then they turned and walked away.
Created on Mon Oct 09 15:24:39 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Oct 11 10:11:26 EDT 2023)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.