Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment: Chapters 34–49

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein
This first book of the series introduces a twelve-year-old homeless orphan who is unsure whether her real name is Maxine Einstein, but her scientific genius is confirmed when she is recruited by the Change Makers Institute to solve the problems that are threatening the planet.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–10, Chapters 11–21, Chapters 22–33, Chapters 34–49, Chapters 50–71
40 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. endeavor
    attempt by employing effort
    “We, of course, have endeavored to give you and the other contestants every opportunity to succeed. For this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not only for each of you, but also for our planet.”
  2. dire
    fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless
    “If we choose incorrectly,” said the man in the middle, “the consequences would be worse than dire. They would be catastrophic.”
  3. ideal
    a principle or value that one hopes to attain or conform to
    Dr. Einstein once said, ‘The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth.’
  4. allotted
    given as a task or a portion
    “Why,” demanded the woman to his right, consulting her notes, “did you complete it in twenty minutes when you were allotted a full eight hours?”
  5. deliberation
    (usually plural) discussion of all sides of a question
    “Thank you for your time. You will hear from us after we complete our deliberations.”
  6. prissy
    exaggeratedly proper
    He put on a prissy, high-pitched voice.
  7. flounce
    walk in an emphatic or exaggerated way
    He pranced in place, flouncing around to make his curly mop top flop.
  8. amalgam
    a combination or blend of diverse things
    “Actually,” said the ever-logical Annika, “I would hazard to guess that none of the world’s problems will ever be resolved with one single solution, Klaus. It will take an amalgam of many.”
  9. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    Around ten p.m., as the group was discussing their ideas for eradicating poverty around the world, Isabl came into the commons room.
  10. constraint
    a limitation or restriction
    “Your archives were amazing,” she thought. “Eighty thousand items. All those documents. I need to start writing things down like you did.”
    “It is one way to outwit the constraints imposed by time,” replied her internal Einstein.
  11. preposterous
    inviting ridicule
    “Your hair does not look as preposterous as that dust mop wig Klaus was wearing.”
  12. conducive
    tending to bring about; being partly responsible for
    The field is much more conducive to a snatch and grab operation.
  13. proscenium
    the wall between the stage from the auditorium in a theater
    A familiar slogan scrolled across the top of the stage's proscenium arch:
    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
    —Margaret Mead
  14. dampen
    lessen in force or effect
    “Do you think your pal Dr. Einstein would agree?” asked Keeto, whose nerves had dampened his usual swagger.
  15. unanimous
    in complete agreement
    “We have made our recommendation to the benefactor,” said the lead judge.
    “Although our verdict was not unanimous,” grumbled the sour-faced judge who looked even angrier than he had the night before.
  16. extenuating
    partially excusing or justifying
    “The benefactor advised us that they would be taking several, shall we say, variables and extenuating circumstances into account before arriving at their final selection.”
  17. elated
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    Max probably should’ve felt elated. Maybe she should’ve jumped up and down and pumped her fists and done some kind of victory dance.
  18. disdain
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    “We need to stay one step ahead of the Corp,” said Isabl.
    “Indeed, you do,” said Ms. Kaplan, giving Max a look of disdain. The CMI matron undoubtedly figured the sudden appearance of the Corp in Jerusalem was all Max’s fault, which, come to think of it, it probably was.
  19. logistics
    supplying an operation with labor and materials as needed
    I don’t mind if some of these adults help us with logistics and office stuff, but the kids you assembled here are absolutely brilliant. That’s who I want with me.
  20. preconceived
    formed beforehand
    “They have no preconceived notions. No fixed ideas about how things have to be done. Their minds are open. They’ll see the world with fresh eyes and attack problems with fresh ideas. And, if you ask me, that’s exactly what this tired old world needs. As someone much smarter than me once said, 'A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.”’
  21. curio
    something unusual, maybe worthy of collecting
    On an earlier reconnaissance mission through the CMI dormitory, Yahav had noticed that the girl, Max, kept an assortment of Einstein memorabilia displayed in a battered suitcase that she opened up like a curio cabinet.
  22. revenue
    the entire amount of income before any deductions are made
    Maybe it was time to take the battle to them. Or, at the very least, cut off one of their revenue streams.
  23. notion
    a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
    “Max’s notion fits nicely with a plea the CMI recently received from a village in the Congo,” said Isabl.
  24. ramshackle
    in poor or broken-down condition
    She moved closer to the 3-D images of the village of Kasombumba. It was a ramshackle collection of buildings.
  25. corrugated
    shaped into alternating parallel grooves and ridges
    Their roofs were sheets of corrugated aluminum.
  26. stranglehold
    complete power over a person or situation
    “We will hammer out a concrete plan for a new industry or agribusiness to replace the stranglehold of the mining companies.”
  27. inoculate
    inject or treat with the germ of a disease to render immune
    We also need to inoculate you against yellow fever.
  28. blunder
    an embarrassing mistake
    “One day, probably pretty soon, after the benefactor realizes his blunder, I have a feeling I’ll be running the group.”
  29. wheelhouse
    a person’s area of interest, skill, or expertise
    This gig is all about logistics. Making deals. That’s my wheelhouse. I’m good at it.
  30. scrounge
    collect or look around for
    The high-tech world was hungry for Africa’s minerals. The Corp members sold everything they could scrounge out of the ground.
  31. windfall
    a sudden happening that brings good fortune
    But he understood the financial windfall that would come to whoever perfected a computer that could process information ten times faster than any computer currently in existence.
  32. subdue
    put down by force or intimidation
    “Bring whatever you think we might need to subdue the girl and any of her protectors.”
  33. sporadic
    recurring in scattered or unpredictable instances
    “The security situation in parts of the DRC,” their alert reported, “remains unstable due to the activities of rebel and other armed groups and ongoing military operations. Sporadic but severe outbreaks of violence targeting civilians continue throughout many provinces. The kidnapping of humanitarian workers for ransom money is on the rise.”
  34. affiliated
    being joined in close association
    Lubumbashi, where the team landed, was the hub for the country’s major mining companies—including the ones affiliated with the Corp.
  35. maraud
    raid and rove in search of plunder
    Charl and Isabl spent their first days patrolling the countryside, gathering whatever intelligence they could on the bands of marauding outlaws rumored to be roaming through the region.
  36. convoy
    a procession of land vehicles traveling together
    On the third day in Kasombumba, Klaus finally arrived with a small convoy of light trucks.
  37. inferior
    of low quality
    “We’ve come all this way and you bring us inferior solar panels?”
    “They’re not inferior,” Klaus shouted back. “They’re just inexpensive.”
    “Don’t these people deserve the best?”
  38. photon
    a tiny bundle of matter that transmits light
    “It’s a manipulation of atoms,” said Vihaan. “It starts with sunlight because, as Dr. Einstein first suggested, a sunbeam isn’t a wave wiggling through space. It’s a collection of wave packets, each with energy. He called those chunks of energy photoelectrons, which somebody shortened to photons.”
  39. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    “Where are Charl and Isabl?” muttered Klaus.
    “On a reconnaissance mission,” admitted Max. “Up in the hills. Searching for bad guys.”
  40. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    Max mustered as much courage as she could.
Created on Tue Jun 11 16:56:02 EDT 2024 (updated Wed Jun 12 18:09:44 EDT 2024)

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