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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 sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
back
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
blade
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
blinding
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
burning
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
bush
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
covered
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
DESERT
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From this reading THE SYRIAN DESERT.
dips
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
Everywhere
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
expanse
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From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
eye
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
far
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
fiery
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
find
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From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
finenounUS /fine/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
flaming
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
grass
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
heat
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
horizon
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
house
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
imparted
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
inundates
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
light
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
more
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
Palestine
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
pebble
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
radiates
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
reaches
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From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
reddish
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
sand
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
scorching
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
seen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
shelter
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From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
shifting
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
sky
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
sparrow
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From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
sun
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From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
SYRIAN
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From this reading THE SYRIAN DESERT.
temperature
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SYRIAN DESERT.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
torrid
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
tree
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As far as the eye reaches, not a house is seen, not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass, not a pebble.
vapor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
vast
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From this reading Not a sparrow could find shelter in this vast expanse.
vaulted
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From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
western
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sun of Palestine inundates with its blinding and scorching light, a desert covered with reddish sand.
zone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everywhere a shifting sand, fine as ashes, radiates back in more torrid temperature the heat imparted to it by that flaming sun, vaulted by a fiery sky that dips in the western horizon into a zone of burning vapor.
