Chapter One

Question 1

juggle

ANNABELLE COAKLEY picked up her half-eaten sandwich to make room for a pile of folders her assistant Michaela held, then juggled the phone to her opposite ear.

Answer 1

1. juggle verb (ENTERTAIN)

to throw several objects up into the air, and then catch and throw them up repeatedly so that one or more stays in the air, usually in order to entertain people
（用…）玩雜耍
We all watched in amazement as he juggled with three flaming torches.
他拿三根燃燒的火把耍把戲，我們都看呆了。

2. juggle verb (MANAGE)

to succeed in arranging your life so that you have time to involve yourself in two or more different activities or groups of people
盡力同時應付（兩種或兩種以上不同的活動或人
Many parents find it hard to juggle children and a career.
許多父母發現一邊照顧孩子一邊忙事業很難應付。

3. juggle verb (CHANGE)

to change results or information recorded as numbers so that a situation seems to be better than it really is
歪曲，篡改
It won’t matter if we juggle the figures - no one will know.
我們改動這些數字沒關係——沒人會知道的。

Question 2

I am covered up

“Mom, I’d love to chat, but right now I’m really covered up.”

Answer 2

covered up

To be extremely busy at work or too important for your friends.

At work, can be the byproduct of being voluntold to do several things.

Scott - You comin’ out for the engagement party?
Dave - Can’t man, i’m covered up until next week.

Question 3

clucking

A clucking sound came over the phone.

Question 4

mid-

Annabelle stopped mid-nod to her assistant and jammed the receiver closer to her ear.

Question 5

jam

Annabelle stopped mid-nod to her assistant and jammed the receiver closer to her ear.

Question 6

implode

Her head felt as if it might implode.

Question 7

mouthpiece

Annabelle covered the mouthpiece and told Mike which files she needed for court, then waved her from the cramped office.

Question 8

cramped

Annabelle covered the mouthpiece and told Mike which files she needed for court, then waved her from the cramped office.

Question 9

sheer

She shook her head at the sheer absurdity that her sweet widowed mother would consider something so reckless.

Question 10

absurdity

She shook her head at the sheer absurdity that her sweet widowed mother would consider something so reckless.

Question 11

reckless

She shook her head at the sheer absurdity that her sweet widowed mother would consider something so reckless.

Question 12

curl

Annabelle sobered and curled her fingers around a dagger-shaped letter opener on her desk. “To Melvin?”

Question 13

dagger

Annabelle sobered and curled her fingers around a dagger-shaped letter opener on her desk. “To Melvin?”

Question 14

washed up

“The washed up movie star?”

Question 15

stab

She stabbed the letter opener into the corkboard pad on her desk calendar.

Question 16

corkboard