Prose 5.

A Baker from Goa (Lucio Rodrigues)

[Link]. Source word Synonym Meaning

1. Reminiscing remembering To think about your past with pleasure

2. Nostalgia longing Looking back or thinking about your past

3. Vanish disappear To disappear suddenly

Refers to bread that is made as a single piece and can
4. Loaf block
be sliced for eating
5. Furnace oven An enclosed surface on which heat is produced

6. Thud bang Refers to a heavy sound

7. Extinguish turn off, put out Put an end to

8. Herald announce Refers to a sign that something is going to happen

9. Pader Baker In here, refers to a baker in Goa

10. Companion friend Refers to someone who we spend time with

11. Rebuke scolding To criticise or disapprove something

12. Parapet fence A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, bridge etc.

13. Fragrance aroma A sweet or pleasant smell

14. Peep Look, glance To look quickly and secretly at something

15. Feast Festival A festival or a celebration

16. Peculiar unusual Something strange or different

17. Prosperous rich Characterised by success and good fortune

18. Plump chubby Refers to overweight

19. Physique Shape, figure Form or structure of a human body

20. Testimony evidence Evidence or proof of something

 Prose 5. Coorg (Lokesh Abrol)

[Link]. Source word Meaning

1. Midway In the middle of something

2. Inhabit To live or occupy

3. Martial Relating to war or warrior

4. Invigorate Making someone feel strong and energetic

5. Plantation A large farm or estate for growing tea, coffee, sugarcane etc.

6. Canopy A uppermost branch of a tree in a forest

7. Fierce Refers to strong and powerful nature

8. Descent Derivation from an ancestor

9. Apparent Clear and understandable

10. Hospitality Refers to the act of receiving friends, guests etc., in a friendly manner

11. Valour Great courage

12. Regiment Large number of soldiers

13. Ripple Small wave or movement on the water surface

14. Abound Existing in plenty

15. Langur A long-tailed arboreal Asian monkey

16. Rafting Refers to a sport or activity of travelling down a river

17. Rappelling The action of descending from a cliff or past an overhang using a double
rope that is fastened above
18. Trekker Traveller who undertakes a long, difficult journey

19. Trail A path or route that is clearly marked, especially in a forest or

mountainous area
20. Canopy The uppermost branches or trees in a forest

21. Panoramic With a full or wide view

 Prose 6. Mijbil the Otter (Gavin Maxwell)

1. Casually (adv.) – In a relaxed, informal way.

2. Eminently (adv.) – To a notable degree; very.
3. Squatting (v.) – Crouching or sitting with the knees bent and the heels close to or touching the
back of the thighs.
4. Squirmed (v.) – Twisted or moved with wriggling motions.
5. Thraldom (n.) – A state of being in bondage or slavery.
6. Fixation (n.) – An obsessive interest in or feeling about someone or something.
7. Medievally-Conceived (adj.) – Imagined or thought of as in the Middle Ages.
8. Christened (v.) – Give (a baby) a Christian name at baptism as a sign of admission to a Christian
Church.
9. Aloof (adj.) – Not friendly or forthcoming; cool and distant.
10. Apathy (n.) – Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
11. Provoking (adj.) – Causing anger or another strong reaction, especially deliberately.
12. Chromium (n.) – A hard, shiny, greyish-white metal.
13. Chittering (v.) – Making a series of short, high-pitched sounds.
14. Flick (n.) – A sudden sharp movement.
15. Dribble (v.) – Pass (a ball) from one foot to the other while moving.
16. Appalling (adj.) – Causing shock or dismay; horrific.
17. Whipped Off (phrasal verb) – Remove or take off quickly.
18. Trickled (v.) – Flowed in a small stream.
19. Ricochetting (v.) – Bouncing off a surface.
20. Infuriated (adj.) – Very angry; enraged.
21. Profound (adj.) – Very great or intense.
22. Resumé (v.) – Begin again or continue after a pause or interruption.
23. Craning (v.) – Stretching out one’s neck in order to see something.
24. Distressed (adj.) – Suffering from anxiety, sorrow, or pain.
25. Nuzzle (v.) – Rub or push against gently with the nose and mouth.
26. Eventful (adj.) – Marked by interesting or exciting events.
27. Engrossed (adj.) – Absorbed in thought; lost in concentration.
28. Ambush (v.) – Make a surprise attack on someone from a concealed position.
29. Gallop (v.) – A horse’s fastest pace.
30. Barrage (n.) – An attack
31. Conjectural (adj.) – Based on or involving guess; speculative.
32. Stoat (n.) – A small carnivorous mammal.
33. Abreast (adv.) – Side by side and facing the same way.
34. Affront (n.) – An action or remark that causes outrage or offence.
 Prose 7. Madam Rides the Bus (Vallikannan)
1. Wistfully – Longingly or with a feeling of yearning, often for something that is unattainable or in the
past.
2. Kindle – To cause (an emotion) to arise or become more intense; in this context, it refers to the
way people’s faces on the bus evoked Valli’s desires and dreams.
3. A Slang Expression – A word or phrase used informally in a group, often with a meaning different
from the literal interpretation.
4. Discreet Questions – Questions asked in a careful, cautious manner to avoid drawing too much
attention or causing offense.
5. Slack Time – A period when there is less activity or work than usual.
6. Repulsive – Causing intense displeasure, disgust, or revulsion.
7. Mimicking – Imitating or copying someone’s speech or actions, often in a mocking way.
8. Haughtily – In a superior, arrogant, or disdainful manner.
9. Curtly – In a brief, abrupt, or rude manner, usually showing irritation or displeasure.
10. Drivel – Foolish, nonsensical, or infantile talk or ideas.
11. Thriftily – In a way that shows careful management of money and resources; avoiding waste and
unnecessary spending.
12. Resolutely Stifled – Determinedly or firmly suppressed or held back (an impulse or desire).
13. Ventured Out – Went out in a hesitant or cautious manner, often into an unfamiliar or potentially
dangerous situation.
14. Thoroughfare – A main road or public highway, especially in a town or city, that has a lot of
traffic.
15. Merchandise – Goods that are bought and sold; commodities.
16. Spreadeagled – Stretched out with arms and legs extended in a spread-eagle position.
17. Haunted – Persistently or disturbingly present in the mind; difficult to forget or ignore.
18. Pokes Her Nose – Interferes or meddles in something that is not one’s concern
19. Excursions – Short trips or outings, usually for pleasure or education.
20. Hamlet – A small settlement or village, typically without a church.
21. Gobbling Up – Eating or consuming something quickly and greedily.
22. Glee – Great delight or happiness.
23. Galloped – (Of a horse) run at a fast pace.
24. Traversed – Travelled across or through an area.
25. Gaped – Stared with an open mouth, typically in surprise or wonder.
26. Dampening – Making something slightly wet; here, it means reducing or spoiling enthusiasm.
27. Chatterbox – A person who talks continuously in a thoughtless or annoying way.
28. Chit of a Girl – A young, immature, or insignificant girl.
 Prose 8. The Sermon at Benares (Betty Renshaw)

1. Afflicted with (adj.): affected by or suffering from something unpleasant or painful.

2. Alms (n.): charitable donations, especially of food or money to the poor.
3. Befitted (v): to be appropriate or suitable for someone, typically because of their
status or position.
4. Bodhi Tree (n): the fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama achieved
enlightenment and became Buddha.
5. Chanced upon (v): encountered or met by chance or accident.
6. Desolation (n): a state of extreme sorrow, grief, or loneliness.
7. Dipping places (n): places along a river where people take ritual baths.
8. Earthen vessels (n): containers or pots made from clay.
9. Enlightenment (n): the state of having achieved spiritual knowledge or insight,
especially in Buddhism.
10. Heretofore (adv): until this time; previously.
11. Inscrutable (adj): impossible to understand or interpret.
12. Kinsmen (n): family members or close relatives.
13. Lamentation (n): the intense expression of grief or sorrow; weeping.
14. Mortals (n): human beings, especially in contrast to gods or divine beings
15. Peepal tree (n): another name for the Bodhi tree, a species of fig tree native to the
Indian subcontinent.
16. Procure (v): to obtain or get something, often with care or effort.
17. Repaired (v): in this context, it means “went” or “proceeded.”
18. Sakyamuni (n): a title of Buddha, meaning “sage of the Sakya clan.”
19. Sermon (n): a talk on a religious or moral subject, usually given by a religious
leader.
20. Slaughter (n): the killing of animals for food or the brutal killing of people.
21 Subject to (adj): likely to experience or undergo something, often something
unpleasant or inconvenient.
 Prose 9. The Proposal (Anton Chekhov)

● proposal – offer / application / ● excruciating – unbearable

suggestion ● palpitation – shiver
● bride – wife-to-be ● want to have me on! – want me to
● bridegroom – husband-to-be believe
● lasts – continues ● pettifogger – cheater
● procession – parade ● embezzlement – fraud
● toasts – praises / compliments / wishes ● lunacy – madness
● tussles – struggles / conflicts ● clutches – holds
● farce – mockery ● guzzling – eat or drink greedily
● tendency – liking ● gambler – a person who gambles
● estates – wealth and possessions ● intriguer – cheater
● petty issues – minor or unimportant ● mean – unkind
matters ● malicious – cruel / hateful
● get-up – dress ● staggers – moving unsteadily from
● privilege – freedom / honour side to side
● pardon – forgiveness ● impudence – rude / disrespectful
● shan’t – shall not ● confounded – confused
● By Jove! – My god! expresses ● wizen-faced – wrinkle-faced
emphasis or surprise ● frump – unattractive / annoying
● egad – a mild exclamation of surprise, ● wails – cries
contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, ● twitching – trembling
etc. ● principle – truth
● awfully – badly ● misfortune – bad luck
● twitch – jerk ● lame – handicapped
● lunatic – mad ● heaps – to a great extent or degree
● negligee – gown ● pedigree – purebred
● hay – straw / grass / feed ● overshot – having the upper jaw
● wedged – trapped extending the lower
● perpetuity – permanency ● demon – devil
● regarding – concerning ● verst – a Russian unit of length (2/3
● reckoned – calculated of a mile/1.07 km)
● implore – beg ● whipper-in – hunter
● threshing – winnowing ● whip – belt
● impudent – disrespectful ● liable – likely
● mower – a person who cuts grass with ● no sooner – immediately after
a mower ● partridge – hunted bird
● give it to them in the neck – severely ● milksop – stupid
punishing ● worrying – disturbing
● hoarse – rough / harsh ● hysterics – panics
● restrain – stop ● be damned – be cursed
● awful – terrible ● Champagne – a white sparkling wine