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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 Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
ancientadjectiveUS /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
announced
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
away
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
beating
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From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
begannounUS /began/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
burst
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
Duncan
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
Duncan's
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
elapsed
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
enough
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From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
Exactly
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
fail
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From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
Faye
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
Gordon
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
haul
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
heart
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From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
heritage
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From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
homespun
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
hour
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
island
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
large
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
line
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
lips
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From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
lives
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From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
lost
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From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
measured
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
moved
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From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
natives
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
prayer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
preciousadjectiveUS /ˈpreʃəs/
rare and worth a great deal
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
quarter
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
ready
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
rushing
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From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
scorenounUS /score/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
seized
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From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
shouting
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From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
slender
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
Slowly
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From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
spanned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
steadily
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From this reading Slowly, steadily, they began to haul away.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
timepiece
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “And life,” she told herself as her lips moved in silent prayer, “life is such a precious heritage.”
water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
Well
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From this reading Well enough she knew that should this line fail them, a half score of lives must be lost.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
wild
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
wildly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Faye found her heart beating wildly as she seized the slender line that spanned the rushing water.
yarnnounUS /jɑrn/
an informal story or conversation
From this reading Exactly a quarter of an hour, measured by Gordon Duncan’s large and ancient timepiece, elapsed before the natives on the island announced by a wild burst of shouting that they were ready for Gordon Duncan and Faye to haul away on the line of homespun yarn.
