The Elephant Girl: Chapters 31–51

by James Patterson, Ellen Banda-Aaku
Unwilling to fit into the expectations of her village in Kenya, twelve-year-old Jama Anyango sneaks off to spend time with elephants that need protection from poachers.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 14, Chapters 15–30, Chapters 31–51, Chapter 52–Epilogue
35 words 5 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. thrum
    make or cause to make a low, continuous sound
    But then I heard the faint thrumming of Mbegu's heart beneath my ear and I remembered I wasn't alone.
  2. steep
    devote fully to
    The question came from somewhere above me; it was deep and raspy and steeped in sadness.
  3. jut
    extend out or project in space
    His extra-long arms and legs jutted out in different directions as he crouched over me.
  4. ebb
    fall away or decline
    I felt my courage ebbing away, replaced with a hopelessness.
  5. survey
    look over carefully or inspect
    "We have a situation," the driver spoke into a walkie-talkie as he surveyed the scene, his eyes bulging with alarm.
  6. jurisdiction
    the right and power to interpret and apply the law
    "With all due respect, sir, we may not have jurisdiction over you or your people, but it's our duty to protect the wildlife of the national parks, especially the endangered species."
  7. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    There was a standoff, guns pointed, rocks poised, the crowd outnumbering the KWS staff tenfold.
  8. bewildered
    extremely confused and uncertain what to do
    And I was off. Running, sprinting, leaving all the bewildered, unfinished questions—Where? Why? What?—in the dust.
  9. warden
    an official who is responsible for enforcing certain regulations or laws
    He was wearing a uniform, a green jumpsuit with matching canvas belt and beret. His name tag read WARDEN, NAIBUNGA CONSERVANCY.
  10. ramble
    continue talking or writing in a purposeless manner
    I rambled on about Mbegu and Momma being trampled, and the dead mother elephant.
  11. crevasse
    a deep fissure
    I watched with astonishment as he slipped one arm through the crevasses of both Mbegu's armpits and helped her up so that she was standing on trembling legs.
  12. coax
    influence or persuade by gentle and persistent urging
    Ojwang then coaxed feeble Mbegu one step at a time into the classroom.
  13. maneuver
    move skillfully, as around obstacles or into a position
    Even if anyone could break the glass, the windows were too narrow for an adult to maneuver through.
  14. disoriented
    having lost your bearings
    I found myself sitting on the floor in a daze. I sat up, blinking and disoriented. I must have dozed off.
  15. shun
    expel from a community or group
    "You talk about honoring Aluna, but you shun her daughter?"
    "She's an embarrassment and a curse to our community."
  16. hobble
    walk unevenly due to pain, injury, or weakness
    I pictured her now, hobbling out to feed the chickens, worrying about what would happen to me.
  17. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    For a fleeting second, I imagined going on long walks with him down to the river and sitting with him under my favorite tree.
  18. buck
    move in a jerky or violent manner
    The tiny airplane swayed and bucked as it climbed into the air.
  19. stabilize
    become constant or more constant
    "Her heart rate is starting to stabilize," Dafina said.
    We all stared as the blue line began to map a steady and even up-down pattern.
  20. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    "Have some faith. Patience."
    "Patience?" Matthew scoffed. "We don't have time to be patient. Look at—"
  21. dispensable
    capable of being eliminated or done without
    She's going to shove me off the back of the plane like a sack of dirt. If there's one thing I had learned that day, it was that I was dispensable. If people who had known me all my life could banish me, what chance did I have with strangers?
  22. compassion
    a deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering
    "Well, Jama, you're safe now. I know you've been through hell and back. I'm sorry to hear about your mother." She paused, and compassion blazed from her eyes.
  23. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    "Jama, come quick." She beckoned me over.
  24. defibrillator
    electronic device to restore the normal rhythm of the heart
    "What is that?" I asked Dafina, as I read the writing on one of the panels. AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR.
    "She's going into cardiac arrest; her heart is stopping. That's a machine that can help get her heartbeat back to normal again. It gives her a shock."
  25. tarmac
    a paved road or surface, especially at an airport
    Mbegu was rushed to a truck that was waiting for us on the tarmac at a small airport that was little more than a concrete strip in a sea of dirt.
  26. denizen
    a plant or animal naturalized in a region
    Underneath were the words: A lifetime dedicated to the protection and preservation of Africa's wilderness and its denizens, particularly endangered species such as elephants and black rhino.
  27. erratic
    having no fixed course
    Just then, a different sound layered over the dreaded, erratic beeping.
  28. casually
    in an unconcerned manner
    I looked beneath me and saw young elephants, some resting, others strolling casually around the room or munching on the leaves and hay piled in the corner.
  29. amble
    walk leisurely
    Some other elephants, including her two best friends, Lullaby and Gacoki, ambled over to this end of the large pit, and Mbegu started another show just for them.
  30. antic
    a playful, attention-getting act done for fun and amusement
    I could swear they were thoroughly amused by Mbegu's antics from the way they surrounded her and watched.
  31. dismay
    the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
    Much to my dismay, however, the finale involved spraying a trunk full of water right at me.
  32. rambunctious
    noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
    Playtime was over and I had to herd the elephants out of the mud. It was no easy feat getting a dozen rambunctious elephants back to their stalls.
  33. earnest
    characterized by a firm, sincere belief in one's opinions
    He'd laughed at me, but then his tone turned earnest. "Seriously, look how well Mbegu is doing. I've never seen an animal get on the path to recovery so quickly, and that's largely because of you."
  34. brittle
    having little elasticity
    I thought of Momma's beans and worried that the leaves had probably turned brown and brittle and died just like her.
  35. corrupt
    dishonest or immoral or evasive
    She explained that this was a common practice, that many corrupt rangers got paid by the poachers to look away.
Created on Thu Feb 22 09:28:50 EST 2024 (updated Thu Feb 22 15:45:56 EST 2024)

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