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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
able
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From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
almost
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
audacious
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
away
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From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
breathing
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
carried
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From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
choked
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
conflicting
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
desire
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
down
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From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
easier
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
else
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
emotions
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
fall
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
felt
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From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
fierce
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
FIRSTnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
FLIGHT
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From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
get
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From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
hard
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From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
headlong
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From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
intoxication
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
keep
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
more
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From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
motion
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From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
much
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From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
rapid
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
rise
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
sensesplural nounUS /ˈsɛnsɪz/
powers of perception and awareness
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
series
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
stress
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
surprises
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
talking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The intoxication of rapid motion carried him away headlong in more senses than one.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
then
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
There
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
throatnounUS /θroʊt/
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
utterance
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
vent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
vivid
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From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE FIRST FLIGHT There was not much talking at first.
wings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading For with wings it is almost easier to rise than to fall, and a first flight is, before anything else, a series of vivid and audacious surprises.
words
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The stress of conflicting emotions was so fierce that the words choked themselves in his throat, and the desire for utterance found its only vent in hard breathing.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At first he felt as if he never would be able to keep up; then it seemed as if he never would get down again.
