Unit 4: Selection Vocabulary 5

Ben's gait was the hop-skip-and-jump—proof enough that his heart was light and his anticipations high.

As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water.

Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before.

Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind...

Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart.

He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.

I’d have been blind for an entire year, the year itself another utter loss.

"...And I can’t stop making up weird refrains—like ‘dark is cool, light is heat’—and repeating them to myself,” I admitted, scared, and suddenly embarrassed, too.

“Those are coping strategies you’re creating for yourself.”

Dr. Sassoman has a big appetite for awkward pauses.

We both waited, me because I wanted to punish her—for trying to bribe or comfort me, for pretending there could be anything fun about this.