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Pelé: Chapters 1–3

This biography, told in graphic form, explores the life of the famed Brazilian soccer player.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Halftime–Chapter 7, Chapter 8–Extra time
15 words 1704 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

  1. humility
    a lack of arrogance or false pride
    Once you've accomplished something, you can rejoice, but even then, you should do so with humility!
  2. arid
    lacking sufficient water or rainfall
    Dico's father, João Ramos do Nascimento, or "Dondinho," is originally from the state of Minas Gerais, a region where people labor to extract metals from an arid land.
  3. meniscus
    a disk of cartilage that cushions the ends of bones
    The ligaments are affected and your meniscus must be in pieces.
  4. paltry
    contemptibly small in amount or size
    The rest of the week, he works as an ordinary salesman for a paltry salary.
  5. communion
    sharing thoughts and feelings
    In Brazil, soccer gives people purpose. It's a moment of communion that lets people forget the struggles of daily life.
  6. invincible
    incapable of being overcome or subdued
    The invincible Brazilians are scaring their weak opponents!
  7. temperament
    your usual mood
    Edson's Ghanaian ancestors fought to survive with dignity. He gets his warrior temperament from their history.
  8. toil
    work hard
    The Portuguese colonists depart to capture slaves in Africa. These men and women toil from sunup till sundown in sugarcane fields or mines before dying of exhaustion.
  9. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
    Observers are starting to call him...a "Black Pearl," yet another allusion to his origins.
  10. persevere
    be persistent, refuse to stop
    You have beautiful skills and you persevere!
  11. myopia
    eyesight abnormality in which distant objects appear blurred
    He's too young to put up a good fight. What's more, he has no sense of responsibility! Not to mention his myopia!
  12. clamor
    loud and persistent outcry from many people
    Because the club's star player didn't make the selection, his supporters fill the stadium with angry screams. Despite the clamor, the dream team is leading easily 3 goals to 1 and loses all interest in this match.
  13. cheeky
    offensively bold
    The cheeky Pelé sends his team to the finals once and for all with a score of 5 to 2!
  14. flamboyance
    the quality of being showy, extravagant, or elaborate
    The first half is marked by the flamboyance of Vavá, the scorer of two goals, and the fantastic dribbles of Garrincha.
  15. decisive
    determining or having the power to determine an outcome
    90th minute, no doubt the final, decisive move of the match!
Created on Fri Oct 16 13:48:28 EDT 2020 (updated Tue Jun 17 12:25:09 EDT 2025)

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