Across the Desert: Chapters 9–18

by Dusti Bowling
The only viewer of The Desert Aviator livestream, twelve-year-old Jolene witnesses a crash and races across Arizona to find and rescue her friend.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–18, Chapters 19–33
35 words 11 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. itinerary
    a proposed route of travel
    Addie Earhart: No problem! My ultralight can fly anywhere.
    JoJo12: Do you think it can make it to Paris?
    Addie Earhart: Paris is officially on the itinerary.
  2. buck
    move in a jerky or violent manner
    If I’m able to find a bike, it will be way faster than walking and definitely less stinky than a camel. Plus, a bike won’t spit at me or buck me off.
  3. parched
    dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
    My lips are already dry, my mouth parched. I’m thirsty, but this part of my journey has barely begun, and I have eighty miles to go.
  4. straddle
    sit or stand astride of
    Squeezing the brakes, I stick out a leg to catch myself, then stand, straddling the center bar of the bike, looking around, breathing hard, my body vibrating.
  5. sputter
    make an explosive sound
    The motor roars as before, then sputters.
  6. jolt
    move or cause to move with a sudden jerky motion
    I twist back on the handle and the bike speeds up, nearly jolting me off.
  7. steep
    set at a high angle (of a slope)
    I’m imagining Lois Pryce soaring over a snowy Alaskan mountain pass, steep cliffs at every turn, when another semi comes up behind me.
  8. gritty
    composed of or covered with small particles
    I stretch my arms out and the gritty asphalt tears my palms and elbows.
  9. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    I finally squeeze the brakes, my whole body quivering from my ordeal.
  10. practically
    almost; nearly
    Practically skipping, I near Hope, but my excitement begins to fade the closer I get.
  11. buzzard
    a vulture common in South America and the southern U.S.
    Based on the number of cars I’ve seen, it might have been several days before someone even found my body. By then, it would have been eaten by animals and buzzards and stuff.
  12. anguish
    suffer great pains or distress
    I sit down in the middle of the road, hugging my scraped knees, burying my head in them as the screaming gets clearer and turns into anguished howls and crying.
  13. instinct
    inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to stimuli
    Following my instincts, I move forward with the moon at my back.
  14. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    My legs feel like they’ve been pummeled by and then filled with bricks.
  15. disoriented
    having lost your bearings
    I make sure to keep track of the moon so I don’t get disoriented again.
  16. spigot
    a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid
    An old spigot juts out from one cracked wall, and I turn it, hoping for water.
  17. condemn
    declare or judge unfit for use or habitation
    A CONDEMNED notice is stapled to the front door.
  18. fritter
    fried batter containing meat, vegetables, or fruit
    Plus they have good donuts. The blueberry fritter is my favorite.
  19. idle
    run disconnected
    An old station wagon idles in the parking lot right in front of me.
  20. prune
    dried plum
    “Look, I’m not lying. I even brought supplies. See, there are some hard-boiled eggs, prunes, and Ensure.”
  21. unbearable
    incapable of being put up with
    It’s already getting hot. In a few hours, it will be unbearable.
  22. jut
    extend out or project in space
    I concentrate on the winding road in front of us that cuts through endless desert—rocky mountain slopes dotted with hundreds of saguaros and ocotillos jutting up from the ground like small geysers.
  23. determination
    firmness of purpose
    “Endless possibilities take endless money,” I say.
    She smiles. “Or endless determination.”
  24. lurch
    move haltingly and unsteadily
    But before Marty can explain, the car makes a strange lurching motion.
  25. backfire
    a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in an engine
    We finally come to a stop, and the car lets out a loud popping noise. I jump and cover my ears.
    “That’s just a backfire,” says Marty, breathing hard.
  26. pessimistic
    expecting the worst possible outcome
    Addie Earhart: Stop being so down on yourself! You can do all kinds of things.
    JoJo12: I'm just being realistic.
    Addie Earhart: No. You're being a Negative Nancy. A Debbie Downer. A Pessimistic Patty!
  27. bleak
    offering little or no hope
    JoJo12: Hopeless Harry!
    Addie Earhart: Bleak Barry!
  28. pulsate
    expand and contract rhythmically
    “It’s not that bad.” I shrug, even though my whole back is soaking wet against my backpack, and my temples are pulsating.
  29. churn
    be agitated
    I quickly fold the map and walk back to the counter, sitting down in front of my oatmeal, my stomach churning at the sight of it.
  30. plethora
    extreme excess
    I'm not sure there's a job for that, but I've given you TONS of good options. A PLETHORA of choices. ENDLESS possibilities.
  31. paranoid
    suffering from delusions of persecution or grandeur
    “I didn’t know if we could trust her.”
    “Could you be any more paranoid, Jolene? What’s the worst that could happen?”
  32. mode
    a particular functioning condition or arrangement
    I check the BlipStream messages one last time before turning on battery-saver mode.
  33. stodgy
    excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull
    “If a stodgy man comes in here wearing a tie, we cut it right off. This ain’t no swanky place.”
  34. swanky
    impressively fashionable and elegant
    “If a stodgy man comes in here wearing a tie, we cut it right off. This ain’t no swanky place.”
  35. muster
    summon up, call forth, or bring together
    “Which way?” Marty asks in that same flat tone.
    “Straight,” I say with all the confidence I can muster, but my stomach is cramping again.
Created on Thu Mar 07 09:06:30 EST 2024 (updated Thu Mar 07 13:47:33 EST 2024)

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