Each Tiny Spark: List 1

by Pablo Cartaya
Emilia must deal with upheaval in her family and her growing awareness of prejudice in her community.

This list covers Emilia's Video #30–Chapter 4.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
30 words 210 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. fleck
    a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
    What if the spinach smoothie I just drank left little green flecks in my teeth?
  2. cardinal
    crested North American songbird having bright red plumage
    A cardinal chirps on the branch of our cedar tree.
  3. argyle
    a design consisting of a pattern of varicolored diamonds
    She’s wearing baggy sweatpants and a tank top and has her favorite fluffy argyle socks on.
  4. auburn
    (of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown
    She’s wearing freshly pressed pants and a blouse with circles and stars on it, her auburn hair perfectly in place without a loose strand.
  5. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    I don’t have Mom’s complexion. One that, as she once said, shows she is a “descendant of the Yoruba.”
  6. pomade
    hairdressing consisting of a perfumed oil or ointment
    Actually, it’s pomade she’s using. Not gel. Pomade is greasier and stays in my hair longer.
  7. sheen
    the visual property of something that shines
    It gives it a slick sheen, but honestly, I hate it because it takes forever to wash out.
  8. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    As the coffee brews, the sweet and bitter smell wafts my way.
  9. apparently
    seemingly; as far as one can tell
    “And apparently he’s okay with your mother leaving even though he’s been gone for eight months,” Abuela says, stern at the kitchen door.
  10. faze
    disturb the composure of
    It doesn’t seem to faze Mom at all. She’s used to what she calls Abuela’s “puyas”—side comments meant to get under her skin.
  11. deployment
    the distribution of forces in preparation for battle or work
    “Bueno, Aurelia, luckily my husband and I have communicated, and fortunately for both of us, we understand that our jobs may require a certain amount of travel on occasion. As I’m sure you’ve experienced over the years with his deployments.”
  12. flustered
    thrown into a state of agitated confusion
    “How do you not get flustered by her, Mom?”
  13. capacity
    the amount that can be contained
    “Well, my mom thinks it is not a good idea to overcrowd our school just because another one is at capacity.”
    “Won’t it make both schools less crowded?” I tell her.
  14. quaint
    attractively old-fashioned
    It’s a tiny little blip of a town, and folks around here like the quaintness of it. I’ve heard Clarissa’s mom say that Merryville is one of the last towns the world hasn’t barreled into.
  15. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    The river runs just alongside the edge of Main Street. It isn’t much of a river, though. More like a plodding stream, but it’s pretty when it shimmers.
  16. orientation
    a course introducing a new situation or environment
    There’s a really old plaque drilled into the rock, but I know that it was added to the school entrance recently, because when we did our sixth-grade orientation in the fall, I didn’t notice it.
  17. plaque
    a tablet that commemorates a person or achievement
    The plaque says MERRYVILLE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, and it names 1904 as the year the city district was established.
  18. chivalrous
    attentive and honorable like an ideal knight
    He holds the doors open for me. “Another Monday at Merryville Middle awaits.”
    “After you, good sir,” I tell him. “I insist.”
    “I accept your chivalrous gesture.”
  19. sensitivity
    responsiveness to external stimuli
    My doctor calls this one of my “sensitivities.” Sudden loud noises really bother me. They send my head spinning and make me want to hide in the custodian’s closet.
  20. intently
    with strained or eager attention
    Gus watches Mr. Richt intently.
  21. aspect
    a characteristic to be considered
    Pick an aspect of Merryville that you would want someone to experience or maybe it’s someone you want them to meet or learn about. Your guide can include places, people, or events.
  22. substantial
    having a firm basis in reality and therefore important
    “Long enough to be substantial.”
    “So, really long?” Jay says.
  23. compelling
    tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument
    “Partnering is discouraged unless there is a compelling reason to do so,” Mr. Richt says to the class.
  24. suffice
    be adequate, either in quality or quantity
    “Once I have thoroughly examined your proposals, I will determine if partnering with a classmate makes sense. And suffice it to say, it won’t be because you’re friends. Understood?”
  25. bureau
    an administrative unit of government
    “Mr. Renter,” he says, “field research does not have to do with football. It means that you will all need to find information at the library, in the town visitors’ bureau, at the local businesses, interviewing people who live and work here..."
  26. turbulence
    instability in the atmosphere
    I hope there isn’t turbulence on Mom’s flight. I flew once to visit my dad on base in San Diego and the plane suddenly dropped. It felt like my stomach was loose inside my body. The captain said something about “experiencing some turbulence.”
  27. blare
    make a loud noise
    The alarm suddenly blared across the room in the middle of class.
  28. dutiful
    willingly obedient out of a sense of respect
    I started crying while kids dutifully followed the teacher’s directions.
  29. initiate
    set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for
    She gets scolded by Mr. Carmichael for not being in place as the Merryville Middle pep band initiates a messy jumble of drums, cymbals, and horns.
  30. incandescent
    emitting light as a result of being heated
    It was an incandescent bulb, which is a pretty standard heat lamp and not very interesting.
Created on Mon Sep 14 18:01:17 EDT 2020 (updated Wed Sep 16 11:32:24 EDT 2020)

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