Study Guide For The Pick-Up
Part 1.
- Who did Julie meet at the car shop? Why was she there?
- Where do Julie and her friends meet every day?
- What does Abdu do during these meetings?
- Why doesn’t Julie want to introduce Abdu to her family?
- Why does Julie hide her wealth from Abdu?
- What is Abdu’s nickname?
- What is the significance of the friends always hanging out in the same place? What is the role of each friend?
Part 2.
- Why does Julie run to the bathroom in her fathers house?
- What does the letter order Abdu to do?
- What advice do the friends give Abdu?
- What does Abdu want Julie to do, but she refuses? Why does she refuse?
- What does Julie’s uncle think she came to him for?
Part 3.
- Where did Julie and Abdu go?
- Where did Abdu already have a record of illegal entry that Julie wanted to move to?
- Where does Abdu find work?
- What did Maryam want to do with her life?
- Why doesn’t Abdu want Julie to tour the village?
- What is the taboo?
Part 4.
- What important position does Abdu/Ibrahim get offered? By who?
- Why does Ibrahim turn the job offer down?
- Where does Julie always walk to, and what does she see?
- Where do Ibrahim and Julie finally get visas to?
- Who does Julie ask for money? How much does he give her?
- Where exactly do they decide to go?
- What present from the family do they decide to definitely keep?
- What decision does Julie make that angers Ibrahim?
- What does Khadija predict about Ibrahim when he leaves?
Terms Part 1 Pp. 1-50
Deftly- skillfully
Musingly- in a reflective manner
Enthroned- to sit in a place associated with a position of authority or influence
Bazaar- a market in a Middle Eastern country
Xenophobia- intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries
Benighted- in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance
Locutions- a word or phrase
Genteel- polite, refined, or respectable
Dilapidation- a state of deterioration due to old age or long use
Nuance- a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound
Visage- the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal
Sombre- so shaded as to be dark and gloomy
Terms Part 2 Pp. 50-100:
Witticisms- a cleverly witty and often biting or ironic remark
Cultivating- to foster the growth of
Infallibly- incapable or error
Promulgated- to make known by open declaration
Haggard- having a worn or emaciated appearance
Jacaranda- any of a genus of the four o’clock family of ornamental tropical American woody vines and shrubs with brilliant purple or red floral bracts
entrepreneurs- a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money
Heckle- to interrupt by shouting annoying or rude comments or questions
Margaritas- an alcoholic drink made of tequila, lime, and an orange flavored liquor
Sector- an area of an economy: a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobsxf
Stifled- to now allow yourself to do or express, to stop from doing or expressing
Oblivion- the state that is not remembered, used, or thought about anymore
Tackle- equipment that is used for a particular activity (especially fishing)
Terms Part 3 Pp.100-150:
Evading- to stay away from; to avoid
Banal- boring or ordinary; not interesting
Edict- an official order given by a person with power or by government
Remotely- to a very small degree; barely; from a far distance
Broach- to introduce a subject or issue for discussion
Protruding- to stick out
Filament- a thin thread or hair; a thin wire in a light bulb that glows when electricity passes through it
Treble- the highest range of sounds used in music
Forthwith- without delay
Unobtrusively- not conspicuous or attracting attention
Bequeathed- leave (a personal estate or one’s body) to a person or other beneficiary by a will
Haughtily- arrogantly superior and disdainful
Masonry- stonework
Divested- deprive (someone) of power, rights, or possessions
Consular-an official appointed by a government to live in a foreign city and protect and promote the government’s citizens and interests there.
Tantalizing-torment or tease (someone) with the sight or promise of something that is unobtainable
Adage- a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth
Terms Part 4: Pp. 150-220:
Malcontents- a person who is dissatisfied and rebellious
Colloquially- with the use of not formal or literacy expression
Prodigal- spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant
Gait- a person’s manner of walking
Minaret- a tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer
Detritus- waste or debris of any kind