Red Scarf Girl: List 3

by Ji-li Jiang
Ji-li Jiang lived a happy life in China until the Cultural Revolution of 1966. As political unrest and division swept the country, her father was imprisoned and her life was turned upside down. In this memoir, she provides a window into a transformative period in Chinese history.

This list covers "A Search in Passing"–"Locked Up."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
15 words 579 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. jovial
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    Instead of loud, lively chatter and jovial laughter, their conversation was all hushed whispers.
  2. faction
    a clique that seeks power usually through intrigue
    One day the Conservative faction were revolutionaries that defended Chairman Mao’s ideas; the next day, the opposite Rebel faction became the heroes of the Cultural Revolution.
  3. leniency
    lightening a penalty or excusing from a chore
    Leniency for confession, severity for resistance!
  4. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Her disheveled hair dangled around her shocked, gray face.
  5. subdued
    restrained in style or quality
    A subdued Chinese New Year had passed. So had my thirteenth birthday, which came and went without any celebration.
  6. aghast
    struck with fear, dread, or consternation
    “Climb the chimney?” I was aghast. “What kind of remolding is that? Did she...did she do it?”
  7. contradiction
    opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
    What a strange teacher, I thought. Full of contradictions and stingy with words.
  8. imperialism
    a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries
    DOWN WITH IMPERIALISM!
    DOWN WITH REVISIONISM!
    DOWN WITH THE NEW TSARS!
  9. integrate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    In the first class Teacher Zhang had told us that in order to integrate all aspects of our study with the revolution and to prepare for war, we would learn military and political terms first.
  10. conspicuous
    obvious to the eye or mind
    And Bai Shan and I were conspicuous enough in class. If we did the blackboard newspaper together, people would start to gossip about us.
  11. brusquely
    in a blunt direct manner
    I could not hear what they were saying inside, but I knew it would not be anything good since they had received Mom so coldly and treated me so brusquely.
  12. tenuous
    weak or unstable
    “Your refusal to help us is a very bad sign. Your husband’s unit would not take such a step without very good evidence, and it is not likely that he could do it without your knowing. Your own position is very tenuous, you know.”
  13. resume
    return to a previous location or condition
    I’m sure your husband’s unit will resume paying his salary when he confesses, and we will return yours to its former level when you decide to cooperate.
  14. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    “But he is very stubborn and refuses to confess. And your mother. Humph. She’s another despicable thing!”
  15. provoke
    call forth, as an emotion, feeling, or response
    “She’s not a thing, she’s a human being,” I wanted to scream, but I knew that I should not provoke him.
Created on Sat Nov 14 21:07:55 EST 2015 (updated Mon Jun 23 10:24:04 EDT 2025)

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