City Spies: Chapters 6–10

by James Ponti
This first book in the series introduces five kids, born on different continents and ranging in age from twelve to fifteen, who are recruited by the United Kingdom's MI6 for their abilities to carry out missions where adult spies cannot succeed.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–16, Chapters 17–23, Chapters 24–37
40 words 12 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. flourish
    make steady progress
    He’d flourished in his new environment, adapting in every way except one: No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get used to the weather.
  2. dismal
    causing dejection
    Looking up through the glass-paneled roof, he saw the sky was nothing more than a dismal swirl of black and gray with no hint the sun even existed.
  3. exasperated
    greatly annoyed; out of patience
    Rio made an exasperated gesture toward Kat, who stood next to him eating an egg sandwich. “How come she has time to eat and I don’t?”
  4. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    So rather than bringing balloons and a banner that read WELCOME TO THE UK, they headed for the airport with surveillance equipment and hidden transmitters ready for reconnaissance.
  5. incredulous
    not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving
    “What’s bad about that?”
    He gave her an incredulous look.
  6. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    Paris scoffed. “That’s rubbish.”
  7. embassy
    a building where diplomats live or work
    A mission’s nicking files from the Russian embassy without getting caught.
  8. elaborate
    add details to clarify an idea
    Paris waited for more, but Rio didn’t elaborate.
  9. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    She was Nepali and had a dark complexion that most people mistook for Indian or Pakistani but was impossible to confuse with Scottish.
  10. customs
    the place at an airport or port where officials screen incoming travelers and goods
    She found a perfect spot in the coffee shop near customs and immigration.
  11. tend
    have a disposition to do or be something; be inclined
    The complex math that continuously ran through her head tended to make her socially awkward, but also let her identify patterns where everyone else saw chaos.
  12. lapel
    a fold of fabric below the collar of a coat or jacket
    “You think everything’s a trick,” she whispered into the microphone hidden in her coat’s lapel.
  13. predominantly
    much greater in number or influence
    “My only concern is the group that’s predominantly American.”
  14. bound
    very likely; almost certain to happen
    Between airport security, government surveillance, and tourists taking vacation snaps, you were bound to have your picture taken multiple times.
  15. rendezvous
    a place where people meet
    He gave her detailed instructions to an RV, or rendezvous point, in the city.
  16. contort
    twist and press out of shape
    “Delicious,” Rio answered, contorting his body so no gravy dripped on his shirt.
  17. sheepishly
    in a manner showing embarrassment or shame
    “Not everybody likes that about me,” she said sheepishly.
  18. lurch
    move abruptly
    He pushed a button, and the elevator lurched into motion.
  19. matte
    not reflecting light; not glossy
    It was sleek, with tinted windows and a matte black paint job.
  20. practical
    having or put to an actual purpose or use
    “Contrary to what you’ve seen at the cinema, spies have practical cars that don’t attract attention,” he said.
  21. voracious
    devouring or craving food in great quantities
    “The boys are voracious eaters.”
  22. corrupt
    debase morally
    I have no idea how Umbra corrupted her, but they flipped her to their side and she helped set me up.
  23. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Just beyond the airfield was a sprawling three-story stone house overlooking the sea.
  24. turret
    a small tower extending above a building
    It had a turret on one side, and Sara wondered if it might technically be a castle.
  25. radar
    measuring instrument using pulses of microwave radiation
    There was a radar tower, wind turbine, antennae, and various other weather instruments.
  26. jowly
    having sagging folds of flesh beneath the chin or lower jaw
    The first thing that greeted them inside the house was a portrait of a large, jowly man with a pencil-thin mustache and thick glasses.
  27. coronation
    the ceremony of installing a new monarch
    “Because the grand opening was held on the second of June, 1953,” said Mother. “The same day as Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.”
    “Not surprisingly, most people chose to watch their new queen receive her crown rather than listen to some crackpot millionaire talk about the weather,” said Sydney.
  28. eccentric
    conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual
    “I prefer the term ‘eccentric philanthropist,’” said Mother.
  29. philanthropist
    someone who makes charitable donations
    “I prefer the term ‘eccentric philanthropist,’” said Mother.
  30. covert
    secret or hidden
    “FARM was a covert listening station throughout the Cold War. All the equipment that studied the climate was specially designed to also eavesdrop on our Russian counterparts. The upstairs was turned into a dormitory able to house up to eight spies.”
  31. counterpart
    a person or thing having the same function as another
    “FARM was a covert listening station throughout the Cold War. All the equipment that studied the climate was specially designed to also eavesdrop on our Russian counterparts. The upstairs was turned into a dormitory able to house up to eight spies.”
  32. cryptography
    the science of analyzing and deciphering codes
    But with advancing technologies and changing politics, the eavesdropping component went away. That’s when MI6 converted it into a cryptography center.
  33. riveting
    capable of arousing and holding the attention
    “We were telling Sara all about Big Bill and FARM,” said Mother. “I was just going to explain how—”
    “Sounds riveting, but I’m sure it can wait,” Monty interrupted.
  34. arduous
    characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion
    “This poor girl’s had an arduous forty-eight hours. The least we can do is let her catch her breath.”
  35. stellar
    distinguished from others in excellence
    “Soon as we get a chance, you and I can go into Edinburgh and start filling out your wardrobe. The shops there are stellar.”
  36. curtly
    in an abrupt and discourteous manner
    “Football,” Rio said curtly.
    “What’s that?” asked Sara.
    “It’s another one of those words you don’t seem to know,” he said.
  37. lull
    a pause during which things are calm
    There was another lull in the conversation, and at this point Mother had had enough.
  38. utterly
    completely and without qualification
    Utterly confused, Mother unfolded the paper and began reading.
  39. brunt
    the main part, especially of a force or shock
    He knew that he’d take the brunt of the blame because he’d been in charge.
  40. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    By now, she had the rapt attention of everyone at the table.
Created on Mon Apr 29 11:13:15 EDT 2024 (updated Tue Apr 30 10:08:33 EDT 2024)

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