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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 first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
await
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
bitterlyadverbUS /ˈbɪtərli/
in a way that shows deep pain or grief
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
comfortable
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From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
consequences
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
crowded
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
descendants
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
down
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
Earth
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
equal
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
events
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From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
faster
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From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
flutings
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
food
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
Friday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
history
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
hope
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
Kalua
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
labor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
labored
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
leftnounUS /left/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
legacy
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
lifetime
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
likely
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From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
logical
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
more
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
moved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
nations
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From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
picked
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From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
pleasantnounUS /pleasant/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
populations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
reason
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
received
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
recorder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
retrospect
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
scarcer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
settled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
settling-down
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
signal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
space
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From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
subsistence
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
suggest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
tape
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first signal from space had been received on a Friday.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not a comfortable settling-down, because the consequences were not likely to be pleasant.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
whole
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/
belonging to which person
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Earth was beginning to be crowded, and there were whole nations whose populations labored bitterly with no hope of more than subsistence during their lifetime, and left a legacy of equal labor and scarcer food for their descendants.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At that time--when the first flutings were picked up by a tape recorder on Kalua--the world had settled down to await the logical consequences of its history.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In retrospect, events moved much faster than reason would suggest.
