IMPORTANT: Comprehension questions will be in chronological order as you read through the story. Page numbers are approximate, and will vary with different editions of the book.
Section 1: The Instructions-Chapters 1-4
Vocabulary
endeavor: to work hard toward a goal
frayed: worn edges, usually on clothing
gossip: to spread rumors about someone or something
peddler: a person who spreads an idea they believe to be true
kiosk: a small, open-air store that usually sells refreshments or newspapers
raucous: to make a very loud or piercing noise
enterprise: something that requires much work or effort
Vocabulary Sentences
Maddie will endeavor to improve her serving and spiking skills during this new volleyball season.
My favorite kiosk at the mall always carries the most unique purses and wallets.
The raucous group of teenagers made it difficult to hear the movie.
Sean didn’t realize that talking about his sister’s friend troubles was gossip.
When I looked down at my frayed skirt, I knew it was time to throw it away.
Comprehension Questions
The only light came from great flood lamps mounted on the buildings and at the tops of poles in the middle of the larger squares. (pg. 4)
Mayor Cole says that it is extremely important for all the work of Ember to be properly done. (pg. 8)
The storerooms of Ember held supplies of canned foods, clothes, furniture, blankets, light bulbs, medicine, pots and pans, reams of paper, soap, and more light bulbs. (pg. 9)
Doon wants to have a job working in the Pipeworks because he has ideas about the generator in there. (pg. 15)
Lina heard the rumor that there was a shortage of light bulbs. (pg. 18)
All the yarn and thread in Granny’s shop came from old clothes, unraveled sweaters, and picked apart dresses and jackets and pants. (pg. 21-22)
Lina’s father died from the coughing sickness and her mother died while giving birth to Poppy. (pg. 23)
Lina drew pictures of a city that looked like Ember, but its buildings were lighter and taller and had more windows. She also drew stairways, streetlamps, and carts, and people who greeted her. (pg. 24)
Captain Fleery tells Lina that the fourth rule of being a messenger is to deliver a message only to the person it’s meant for, no one else. (pg. 27-28)
The Gathering Hall Clock must never be allowed to run down because it measures the hours of day and night and without it, no one would know when to go to work, when to go to school, when to turn the lights on, and when to turn them off again. (pg. 34)
Lina hopes to see the city from the roof of the Gathering Hall. (pg. 37)
Doon doesn’t understand where the power came from that ran through the wires and into the light bulbs. (pg. 47)
Most people in Ember had potatoes at every meal – mashed, boiled, stewed, roasted, and even fried potatoes before the cooking oil ran out. (pg. 61)
Sadge Merrill was looking for something that could help them, such as a stairway or a building full of useful things. (pg. 64)
Section 2: Chapters 5-10
Vocabulary
whirl: to quickly and repeatedly spin around
summon: to demand the presence of someone or something
murmur: a quiet and indistinct sound of talking, usually in a large group
chortle: a breathy laugh
illegible: very hard to read
recoil: to back away in fear or startle
descend: to move downward
Vocabulary Sentences
Lily did chortle when she heard her grandpa call her his “little sweet pea.”
When Johnny’s mother summoned him to the kitchen, he knew she had found the broken dish in the trash.
Watching the ocean tide whirl around and around began to make Sawyer feel dizzy.
Zeke tried to read his 3-year-old brother’s note, but the letters were illegible.
The little toddler did recoil when the angry dog barked loudly at her.
Comprehension Questions
Lina’s mother had been a dreamy, absent-minded kind of person. (pg. 71)
When Lina runs out of the shop to look for Poppy, the lights in the city went out and she couldn’t see anything. (pg. 78)
Doon took care of Poppy during the blackout since she was marching up the street by herself and no one knew who she belonged to. (pg. 81)
Doon’s father says that when anger gets a hold of you, then anger becomes your boss and you get unintended consequences. (pg. 89)
Lina’s curiosity is sparked when she sees that the paper is covered with small, perfect printing. (pg. 92)
Captain Fleery and the other Believers believe that the Builders will come back again and show them the way. (pg. 99)
The only people allowed to see the report for the light bulb rooms are the mayor and old Farlo Batten, the head of the storerooms. (pg. 103)
Lina folds the note and writes the mayor’s name on it, and leaves it on the guard’s desk at the Gathering Hall. (pg. 108)
Lina determines the document is about the Pipeworks. (pg. 110)
Doon drops a trail of washers, bolts, pieces of wire, and whatever he has in his tool belt, and then he picks them up on his way back, so that he won’t get lost. (pg. 114)
Lina and Doon saw the back of a man with a dark coat and dark, untidy hair. (pg. 129)
Lina uses a blue pencil to color the sky. (pg. 136)
Lina feels lonely when she says good night to her grandmother. (pg. 139)
Section 3: Chapters 11-15
Vocabulary
misfortune: unfortunate
saunter: to walk slowly or without urgency
beckon: a gesture to call someone nearer to oneself
shrill: a high pitched and piercing sound
decipher: to decode a coded message
plunder: to steal something from someone using force or strength
uproar: a noisy disturbance usually from a crowd
Vocabulary Sentences
Evan beckoned his mother to follow him into the garden so they could look for the butterfly together.
Jenna did saunter into the classroom to show off her new dress.
When the little girl fell, and cut her lip, her shrill cries caused everyone to stop and stare.
The children were in an uproar when they found out they would not be able to go to Disneyland after all.
Johnny felt disappointed by his misfortune in getting the chicken pox.
Comprehension Questions
Lina and Poppy go to live with Mrs. Murdo after their grandmother dies. (pg. 142)
Lizzie’s boyfriend says she is as beautiful as a red tomato. (pg. 146)
Cans of peaches, creamed corn, and applesauce spill out of Lizzie’s sack when she trips on the street. (pg. 146)
Doon snatches his hand back when he feels a key in the lock. (pg. 156)
When Doon opens the door, he sees mounds of cans, heaps of clothes, rows of jars and bottles, stacks of light bulbs and a blob of a person sitting in an armchair. (pg. 156)
Doon and Lina decide to tell the guards about their discovery of the mayor and Looper’s activities. (pg. 161)
Clary says that the title of the secret document is “Instructions for Egress,” which means “the way out” and “the exit.” (pg. 171)
Doon thinks a door in the bank of the river will lead them under the Pipeworks or to another city. (pg. 174)
Lina thinks the E was carved on purpose because it was centered on its stone, and its lines were deep and even. (pg. 182)
Lina find candles and matches inside the dark green, metal boxes. (pg. 188)
The Instructions say that the river is the way out of Ember. (pg. 192)
The three city guards accuse Doon of spreading vicious rumors. (pg. 200)
Doon suggests they go wherever the river leads them. (pg. 207)
Lina almost bumps into two guards on her way to delivering the note to Clary. (pg. 211)
Section 4: Chapters 16-20
Vocabulary
fray: an argument
ponder: to think about something carefully before making a decision
wedge: an object with a thick edge and a thin edge used to lodge or split something
impudence: having or showing a lack of respect for others
accomplice: someone who helps someone else commit a crime
wry: using dry humor or sarcasm
disperse: to distribute something over a wide area
Vocabulary Sentences
Mrs. Jones was shocked by the impudence of her student when he refused to do the math assignment.
Evan’s little sister became his accomplice when she agreed to help him sneak cookies from the jar.
Emma happily dispersed the seeds onto the soil so that she could begin planting her favorite flowers.
Reagan enjoyed lying in the grass to ponder the various cloud shapes that filled the sky.
Zane ran to tell his mother about the fray between his two friends.
Comprehension Questions
The guards catch Lina at the library when she can’t open the locked door. (pg. 213)
On the banners, the wavy lines represent “The Song of the River,” the grid represents “The Song of the City,” and the black represents “The Song of Darkness.” (pg. 215)
The mayor thinks Lina’s curiosity is a dangerous quality. (pg. 217)
From the edge of the clock tower, Lina sees Doon with a candle going toward the Pipeworks in the dark. (pg. 224)
Doon pins the message to his father to the kiosk. (pg. 227)
Doon has a candle (a light) to help him see in the dark, something that no citizen has ever had before. (pg. 229)
Lina decides to bring Poppy with her on the journey out of Ember. (pg. 231)
Lina finds a path around the pile of rocks at the place where the river ends. (pg. 244)
Poppy finds a book wrapped in green, slippery material and bound with a strap, while she is waiting for Lina to get Doon’s bundle. (pg. 245)
The Builders left the notice on the wall for the refugees from Ember. (pg. 250)
Lina notices that the air smells better as they near the end of the tunnel. (pg. 252)
Doon realizes that the creature is speaking to them. (pg. 256)
Lina and Doon see their city at the bottom of the enormous cave. (pg. 269)
Mrs. Murdo discovers the message that Lina and Doon throw down into Ember. (pg. 270)
