The City of Ember Vocabulary 9-12

“There’s some sort of odd mechanism here,” he said.

• writing

• device

• picture

• covering

A pause ... and then the sound of an impact, a short, explosive breath, and a muttered word in a gruff, low voice.

• one thing striking another

• change

• spy

• a small bug

She had frightening dreams in which something dangerous was lurking in the darkness.

• shining

• carrying a message

• hiding & waiting to attack

• crawling

But as she did all this, in the back of her mind was the memory of the days of her father’s illness, when he seemed to grow dim like a lamp losing power, and the sound of his breathing was like water gurgling through a clogged pipe.

• dumb

• boring

• not bright

• quiet

Though she didn’t want to, she also remembered the evening when her father let out one last short breath and didn’t take another, and the morning a few months later when Dr. Tower emerged from her mother’s bedroom with a crying baby and a face that was heavy with bad news.

• climbed down

• sunk in

• ran along

• came out

Here was the kitchen and the table—she winced as she stubbed her toe on one of its legs.

• collapsed

• grimaced in fear or pain

• cursed

• yelled loudly

She groped her way back to her own bed and fell into a deep sleep, and when, hours later, the clock tower struck six and the lights came on, Lina went fearfully into her grandmother’s room.

• felt about blindly

• jumped

• ran swiftly

• crawled

Lizzie was ordinarily so interested in other people’s misfortunes.

• successes

• bad luck

• eagerness

• fate

When Lina showed her the two cans, she gasped in astonishment.

• eagerness

• disappointment

• anger

• great surprise

It was the best meal Lina had had in a very long time—but her enjoyment of it was tainted just a little by the question of where it had come from.

• stolen

• delayed

• ruined

• extended