The unexpected entry
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An archive volunteer noticed an anomaly in a box of carefully numbered photographs: two unrelated pictures carried the same identification code. She initially treated the duplicate as an aberration in an otherwise orderly catalog. The mismatch was atypical of the collection, whose labels usually followed a consistent pattern. Before changing anything, she checked the original inventory and the neighboring boxes.
The inventory explained the anomaly: a replacement label had been attached to the wrong photograph. This atypical error did not justify discarding the entire catalog. The volunteer corrected the entry and recorded what she had found. To determine whether it was truly an aberration, she also checked a sample of other replacement labels for the same kind of mistake.
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Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.