Red Scarf Girl: List 2

by Ji-li Jiang
Ji-li Jiang lived a happy life in China until the Cultural Revolution of 1966. As political unrest and division swept the country, her father was imprisoned and her life was turned upside down. In this memoir, she provides a window into a transformative period in Chinese history.

This list covers "The Red Successors"–"The Propaganda Wall."

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
15 words 982 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. subside
    wear off or die down
    As the fever subsided, I began to feel better, but Grandma said I should stay home a few more days to make sure I was completely well.
  2. extravagance
    excessive spending
    By the time Dad was born, most of the money was lost to extravagance and bad luck, and soon the big family was broken up.
  3. abolish
    do away with
    The junior high school entrance examination had been abolished. There would be no final exams for us this year. Everyone would automatically graduate.
  4. invalidate
    take away the legal force of or render ineffective
    All students will be assigned to schools by their residential districts. The teachers’ assignments have been invalidated.
  5. askew
    turned or twisted to one side
    The cut-paper characters STUDY HARD AND ADVANCE EVERY DAY still hung on the front wall, but several pins were missing and some of the characters hung askew.
  6. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    “If we do not completely eliminate the roots, the plant will grow back,” we heard. “We must eradicate these relics of the past.... We must not allow the reactionary forces to hoard their treasures....”
  7. atone
    make amends for
    Instead of admitting her crimes and striving to atone for her sins, Old Lady Rong has sent her sons to Hong Kong, where they can continue to exploit the Chinese people, and she herself continues to flaunt her bourgeois life.
  8. vulnerable
    susceptible to attack
    When neighbors ran into each other, they did not stop to chat but just nodded and hurried on. Everyone felt vulnerable, and no one wanted to say anything that would cause trouble.
  9. turbulence
    a state of violent disturbance and disorder
    An Yi had been sent away to spend the summer with her grandparents in Shandong, away from Shanghai’s turbulence.
  10. rapt
    feeling great delight and interest
    As the match flared, I saw Du Hai sitting in rapt attention.
  11. zeal
    excessive fervor to do something or accomplish some end
    We were so full of revolutionary zeal that we hardly slept at night.
  12. supplication
    a humble request for help from someone in authority
    His wife followed some Red Guards back and forth, saying something and gesturing in supplication.
  13. pervasive
    spreading or spread throughout
    The acrid smoke and its pervasive smell made me sick to my stomach.
  14. dirge
    a song or hymn of mourning as a memorial to a dead person
    We heard the sounds of the traditional dirge grow louder, and so did the screams and wails coming from a memorial ceremony in a private room.
  15. trundle
    move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
    A cart trundled by, carrying a body draped in white.
Created on Sat Nov 14 20:45:25 EST 2015 (updated Mon Jun 23 10:16:34 EDT 2025)

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