Travel and Adventure
Words from 'The Tunnel'
Learn the words from 'The Tunnel' that name the parts of its setting.
'The Tunnel' is set in a very particular place, and some of its words name parts of it exactly:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| embankment | a raised bank (often stone) that carries the railway over low ground |
| cutting | a narrow valley cut through a hill to make room for the railway |
| scrub-covered | covered with short trees and bushes |
| shisham | a tree found in north India |
| range | an area (where the leopard visits each month) |
An embankment raises the line; a cutting removes the hill. One adds, the other takes away!
Light and seeing:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| shimmered | shone with a light that seems to move (heat waves) |
| dazzled | blinded by bright light |
| plume of smoke | a long, thin cloud of smoke |
| flickering | burning unsteadily |
Movement:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| instinctively | without thinking |
| flinch | make a quick movement back |
| scuttled | ran hurriedly (the lizard) |
| swishing | moving with a brushing sound (the tail) |
| swooped | flew quickly downwards (the flying foxes) |
The leopard: lithe = slim and graceful; sinewy = lean and muscular; snarling = growling; twitching = small sudden movements. Together: an animal built for speed.
Thinking and feeling: contemplation = deep thought; reassure = comfort or calm; quaint = unusual, charming (the nightjar's tonk-tonk).
The work: obstacles = things blocking the way; trimming a lamp = adjusting its wick; defying = challenging, opposing (the engine against the jungle).
Notice how many words are about how something moved. Almost the whole story is someone watching something move in poor light!
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