Towers Falling

1. eviction (noun):

the forced ejection of a tenant or tenants from a residence

“If she does, I’ll leave the paper black. Else I’ll have to lie. Say eviction is the best vacation.” (Chapter 3, Page 5)

2. pleasant (adjective):

of a person, friendly and nice

“But his face is round, doughboy soft. Pleasant. Don’t know why I’m thinking pleasant—never ever used the word before—but it popped inside my head.” (Chapter 3, Page 8)

3. integrated (adjective):

when various parts or elements, such as subjects or classes, are connected

“‘Principal Thompson wants us to try a new curriculum.’ She licks her lips. ‘All lessons are to be integrated.’” (Chapter 4, Page 12)

4. heritage (noun):

property or traits handed down through a family or a loosely related group

“‘Your people,’ I say, grouchy. ‘She means where do your people come from?’”

“‘Your heritage,’ mumbles Sabeen, her mouth full of bread.” (Chapter 5, Page 20)

5. slavery (noun):

the forced labor of people, particularly African Americans in the United States, against their will

“’You mean slavery. How come very white person sees a black person and thinks slavery?’” (Chapter 5, Page 20)

6. immigration (noun):

the movement of people to a new country

“‘Immigration,’ Ben murmurs. ‘Fourth grade. ‘America is a land of immigrants,’ our book said.” (Chapter 5, Page 21). 

7. skyscrapers (noun):

tall buildings, named for their seeming ability to “scrape” the sky

“You can see the East River. And right across the river are hundreds of tall buildings, some shooting straight, piercing the clouds. Others, not as tall, close the gaps between skyscrapers” (Chapter 7, Page 31).

8. anniversary (noun):

the date on which an event occurred in a previous year

“This Sunday is the fifteenth anniversary,’ Ben says.” (Chapter 7, Page 33)

9. divine (adjective):

godlike

“‘Family,’ Sabeen exhales. ‘Home is divine. Blessed by Allah.” (Chapter 8, Page 51)

10. thesis (noun):

a statement of one’s argument, particularly in an essay or presentation

“‘That’s your thesis. Your main idea. Spaces, buildings are important but never as important as the people inside.’” (Chapter 9, Page 59)

11. social unit (noun):

a set of individuals such as a family, extended family or a group of close-knit neighbors that is a part of a larger group within society

“Handing out red, green, blue, and black markers, Miss Garcia asks, ‘How many social units do you belong to?’” (Chapter 10, Page 64)

12. diagram (verb):

To create a visual representation, such as a drawing, chart or graph

“Miss Garcia hands me a marker. ‘Diagram your ideas, Dèja.’” (Chapter 10, Page 65).

13. anxious (adjective):

feeling uneasy or worried about an upcoming event or memory

“Anxious is the only word Ma ever says about Pop. He’s anxious on the subway. Anxious about closed spaces.” (Chapter 11, Page 77)

14. niqab (noun):

a piece of clothing worn by some Muslim women that covers the whole body except for the eyes

“‘Why’s your mom dressed in black?’

‘It’s a niqab. For modesty.’” (Chapter 11, Page 83)

15. terrorist (noun):

a person who commits violent acts to accomplish a political aim

“Frustrated, Ben sighs, double-clicks the mouse. ‘Terrorists attacked the Twin Towers on 9/11.’” (Chapter 11, Page 96)

16. transferred (past participle verb):

gone from one place to another

“I don’t care. She’s out. I want her transferred. Another school.” (Chapter 12, Page 104)

17. spectacle (noun):

a person, place, thing, or event that is visually notable and draws attention to itself

“Everyone, except me, goes to his or her desk and chair. Whisper-whisper. Chatter-chatter-chatter. My fists ball. But my classmates are right. Pop is a spectacle.” (Chapter 15, Page 124)

18. thoughtful (adjective):

considerate, mindful of others’ feelings

“Michael’s thoughtful. He seems to know Pop’s sick, not quite right. Kind, Michael leads him away.” (Chapter 15, Page 125)

19. regional (adjective):

relating to a specific geographic area

“‘Good, good.’ He strokes his beard. ‘Some histories repeat; some events are unique. There is regional, statewide, and national history. We share all of it in common as Americans.’” (Chapter 15, Page 125)

20. framed (past participle verb):

given a lens through which it can be viewed

“‘When asked a question, class, it’s important to consider how it’s framed. Sometimes a question is a door to another question, another way of seeing. Understanding.’” (Chapter 15, Page 126)

21. context (noun):

the setting in which something exists or is grounded

“Well-written. ‘Excellent thinking, Deja. You challenged the context of my question.’” (Chapter 15, Page 127)

22. democracy (noun):

a form of government that relies on people to express their beliefs and opinions by voting

“Sixty people died building the Twin Towers, architectural marvels that would forever symbolically represent the strength of America and its principles of democracy and capitalism.” (Chapter 15, Page 131)

23. transnational (adjective):

relating to connections or ideas that go beyond one country’s boundaries

“Other attacks on American soil were by nations; this is the first transnational terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.’” (Chapter 19, Page 159)

24. ideologues (noun):

followers of a specific point of view or ideology

“We call them terrorists because they are not representative of a single nation. Instead, they’re ideologues. Here is what that means—ideologues are narrow-minded people, incapable of independent thought and critical thinking.’” (Chapter 19, Page 160)

25. tumultuous (adjective):

loud, violent

“Behind my closed lids, I see floors collapsing. Great gusts of gray dust, smoke rise. Seconds, mere seconds for the buildings to squish, squash, layer by layer, with tumultuous roaring, everything and everyone.” (Chapter 19, Page 161).

26. depression (noun):

a state of deep sadness

“Pop’s worse. He sleeps all the time. Ma says Pop is depressed. When she’s not working, she stays in our room, making sure he eats.” (Chapter 21, Page 169)

27. cascades (verb):

to fall or pour over, as liquid

“Water cascades down, down, down from all sides of the square, swirling, pooling, and descending into another deeper, darker, blacker square.” (Chapter 23, Page 191)

28. void (noun):

empty space

“He reads the brochure. ‘It’s a void.’

‘What’s a ‘void,’ Ben?’

‘“Nothingness,”’ he reads, ‘“A space unfilled. Unoccupied.’” (Chapter 23, Page 193)

29. absence (noun):

state of not being present

“‘Reflecting Absence,’ the brochure said. That’s what they call this part of the memorial.’”

“It does, doesn’t it? Reflect what isn’t here. Add the water, Ben.’” (Chapter 23, page 193)

30. metaphor (noun):

a figure of speech in which one thing is made equal to another to convey meaning, as in a poem or story

“‘It’s a metaphor,’ I say. ‘Like we study in stories, poems. Water is life.’” (Chapter 23, Page 194)