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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 She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
action
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From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
actual
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From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
adjoining
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From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
againnounUS /again/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
althoughnounUS /ˈalthough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
altogether
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
back
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From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
box
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From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
brief
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From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
bring
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From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
chair
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From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
chanced
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From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
corridor
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From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
country
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
curious
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From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
dances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
dangers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
dazed
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From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
Deliberately
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From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
door
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
down
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From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
emerged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
empty
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From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
escaped
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From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
feet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
fingers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
flying
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
folded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
footsteps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
gayety
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
hastened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
hot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
insignificant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
knees
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
languorous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
laughter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
Maggie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
moving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
music
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
picked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
pieces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
programme
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
pushed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
real
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
sank
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
sensesplural nounUS /ˈsɛnsɪz/
powers of perception and awareness
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
ShepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
small
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
space
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
stillnounUS /still/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
swiftly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
thrilling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
tore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
touch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
trembling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She sank into a chair, her knees trembling, her senses still dazed.
unknown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
voices
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
wandered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Deliberately, although with hot and trembling fingers, she folded over and tore into small pieces a programme of the dances, which she had picked up from an adjoining chair.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It chanced that the box was empty when Maggie, with flying footsteps, hastened down the corridor and pushed open the door.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The action, insignificant though it was, seemed to bring her back into touch with the real and actual world, the world of music and wild gayety, of swiftly moving feet, of laughter and languorous voices.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading For a brief space of time she had escaped, she had wandered a little way into an unknown country, a country from whose thrilling dangers she had emerged with a curious feeling that life would never be altogether the same again.
