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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 THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
abroad
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From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
almost
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
alonenounUS /alone/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
aristocratic
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
astir
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From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
attire
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
away
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
background
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
bending
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
blue
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
bright
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
brilliant
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
CHANGES
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
cloudless
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
coloring
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
deep
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
dun-colored
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
earth
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
Englishman
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
famous
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
Far
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
few
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
fronting
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
garments
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
grey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
intense
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
Italian
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
lazily
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
like
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
made
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
midday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
Minerva
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
NodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
old-fashioned
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From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
out
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
particular
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From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
peasants
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From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
picturesque
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
quaint
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From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
queer
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
rested
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
risen
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
SCENE
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From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
seemednounUS /seemed/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
sky
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
slopes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
solitary
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
specks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
standingnounUS /ˈstanding/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
statute
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
steps
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From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
streets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
sun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
terraced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
town
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But in the quaint old-fashioned town itself no one was astir.
unnoticed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading THE SCENE CHANGES The midday sun had risen into a sky of deep cloudless blue, and a silence almost as intense as the silence of night rested upon the earth.
villas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
vine-covered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
walk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading No one was abroad, no one seemed to have anything particular to do.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
work
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Far away on the vine-covered slopes a few peasants were lazily bending over their work, the bright garments of their picturesque attire standing out like little specks of brilliant coloring against the dun-colored background.
wornverbUS /wɔːrn/
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
zig-zag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One solitary Englishman made his way alone and almost unnoticed through the queer zig-zag streets, up the worn grey steps by the famous statute of Minerva, and on to the terraced walk, fronting which were the aristocratic villas of the little Italian town.
