I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912: Chapters 1–8

by Lauren Tarshis
In this first book of the historical fiction I Survived series, ten-year-old George Calder does not want his first-class journey on the greatest ship in the world to end, but in the middle of the night, he is told to put on a life jacket.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–16
30 words 467 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. lurch
    move abruptly
    The ship lurched.
  2. bellow
    make a loud noise, as of an animal
    More screams and cries. A bellowing sound, like a giant beast was dying a terrible death.
  3. fumble
    feel about uncertainly or blindly
    “Morning,” said Phoebe, peering through the silk curtains of her bed and fumbling for her spectacles.
  4. practically
    almost; nearly
    Her curly brown hair was practically standing straight up.
  5. meringue
    sweet dessert or topping made of beaten egg whites and sugar
    Last night George had eaten two plates of roast beef, veal and ham pie, carrots sweet as candy, and a mysterious dessert called meringue pudding. It tasted like sugary clouds.
  6. resist
    withstand the force of something
    He’d slid down the banister of the grand staircase in the first class lobby. How could he resist? The wood was so shiny and polished, curving around like a ride at the fair.
  7. telegram
    message sent by a device that communicates over a wire
    “No more trouble,” she repeated, tapping his chest. “I don’t want to have to send a telegram to your father.”
  8. recreation
    an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
    He saw the engine rooms and the boiler rooms, and wound up on the third-class recreation deck. He was watching some boys play marbles when he noticed that he wasn’t alone.
  9. amber
    of a medium to dark brownish yellow color
    A little boy was staring up at him with huge eyes the color of amber glass.
  10. decent
    socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous
    George told Marco about their farm and their trip and explained that any decent person living in New York had to be a Giants fan.
  11. maiden
    earliest or first
    It had been Uncle Cliff's dream to be on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.
  12. suite
    lodging consisting of a series of connected rooms
    He’d struck it rich selling automobiles and had plenty of money to pay for one of the biggest suites on the ship.
  13. obsession
    an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something
    “What if the Titanic was hit by a meteor?” said Phoebe, whose latest obsession was outer space.
  14. determined
    devoting full strength and concentrated attention to
    She was determined to see a shooting star before they docked in New York.
  15. starboard
    located on the right side of a ship or aircraft
    They run up the starboard side of the ship, up two decks, through the stokers’ quarters, and into their dining hall.
  16. quarters
    housing available for people to live in
    They run up the starboard side of the ship, up two decks, through the stokers’ quarters, and into their dining hall.
  17. apparently
    seemingly; as far as one can tell
    People are saying he sold the coffin to the British Museum. Then he packed the princess herself in a wooden crate. Apparently he’s bringing her back for his collection.
  18. superstitious
    showing faith in magic and ignorance of the laws of nature
    “I’m glad I’m not the superstitious type!”
    Mr. Stead chuckled. “In any case, nothing can harm this ship. Not even the curse of a mummy!”
  19. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    He’d find Mr. Burrows’s crate, pry it open, and take a quick peek at the mummy.
  20. lunge
    make a thrusting forward movement
    The panther lunged and grabbed the branch in its jaws.
  21. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
    The hold was in the very front of the ship, past the mail sorting room and the cabins where the stokers and firemen stayed.
  22. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    George walked right through the doors of the first class baggage room and down a steep metal staircase that led to the hold.
  23. hearty
    without reservation
    “Ah, a prince from first class,” the man said with a hearty laugh.
  24. clatter
    make a rattling sound
    The knife clattered to the floor, but George didn’t try to get it.
  25. eerie
    inspiring a feeling of fear; strange and frightening
    An eerie silence surrounded him, and George’s heart skipped a beat as he realized that the engines had been turned off.
  26. tattered
    worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
    A bunch of young men in tattered coats and hats were pelting each other with balls of ice, roaring with laughter like kids having a snowball fight.
  27. pelt
    cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
    A bunch of young men in tattered coats and hats were pelting each other with balls of ice, roaring with laughter like kids having a snowball fight.
  28. cautious
    showing careful forethought
    “Is that why they’ve stopped the engines?” said the new man. “Because of some ice on the deck?”
    “Just being cautious, it seems, following regulations,” said the older fellow.
  29. regulation
    an authoritative rule
    “Is that why they’ve stopped the engines?” said the new man. “Because of some ice on the deck?”
    “Just being cautious, it seems, following regulations,” said the older fellow.
  30. jostle
    come into rough contact with while moving
    More ice balls came sailing up from below, and the men jostled to catch them.
Created on Mon Oct 09 10:46:12 EDT 2023 (updated Wed Oct 11 10:03:44 EDT 2023)

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