| A | B |
|---|
| dismal | very gloomy and depressing |
| convulsively | an abnormal violent contraction of the muscles that is not under control |
| combing | to go over or through carefully in search of something or someone |
| parched | to wilt with heat |
| spiral | winding or circling a center and getting closer |
| belts | a piece of flexible material used to hold up clothing |
| shoal | a place where a sea or lake is shallow and sandy |
| atoll | a coral island consisting of a coral reef surrounding a lagoon |
| ballast | heavy material used to make a ship steady |
| trough | a channel for water |
| marrow | soft tissue rich in fat and blood vessels that fills the cavities of most bones |
| quickened | to make or become quicker |
| sultry | very hot and humid |
| squall | a sudden violent wind with rain |
| survival | a continuation of life despite difficult conditions |
| ascending | to go up |
| utterly | complete in extent or degree |
| oppressive | cause a feeling of low spirits |
| buoyancy | the power of a fluid to put an upward force on a body placed in it |
