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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 A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
approaching
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
awakened
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
bunk
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
cat
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
cautiously
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
closing
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
darkened
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
door
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
easing
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From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
farther
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From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
figure
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From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
head
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
hurl
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From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But he did not hurl himself at the figure now easing the door farther open.
now
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
pitch
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From this reading "What's the pitch?"
putting
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
ready
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
room
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
Ross
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
shoulders
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
shuffling
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
slid
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
slight
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
slightly
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
sound
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
spring
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From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
turned
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
visitor
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
waited
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From this reading He waited until the visitor was approaching the bunk before he slid along the wall, closing the door and putting his shoulders against it.
wall
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From this reading Ross stood cautiously against the wall of his darkened room, his head turned toward the slightly open door.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A slight shuffling sound had awakened him, and he was now as ready as a cat before her spring.
What's
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From this reading "What's the pitch?"