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A Desert Drama
A Desert Drama

Chapter III

Cover illustration for A Desert Drama
Context Illustration Reading 1/49 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Stoppa!
Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Desert Drama

Chapter III

Reading 1/49 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Stoppa!
Line 2
Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.
Line 3
The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.
Line 4
The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.
Line 5
Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Above preposition US /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.”

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.”

Along preposition US /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading “The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.”

Bluff adjective US /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading “The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.”

Cried noun US /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.”

Current noun US /ˈcurrent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.”

All words in this reading · 66

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

air

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

alongside

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

Backa

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

bank

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

bluffadjectiveUS /blʌf/

direct and plain-spoken in manner, sometimes seeming rough

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

boat

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

bows

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

boys

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

bravely

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

brown

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

caps

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

clamour

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

clear

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

criednounUS /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

donkeys

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

engineer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

escort

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

European

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

filed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

forage

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

full

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

gangway

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

gold-trimmed

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

jaunty

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

light

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

light-blue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

line

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

mud

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

native

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

pilot

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

ranged

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

red

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

showing

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

six

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

soft

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

soldiers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

Soudanese

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

squelched

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

stern-wheeler

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

Stoppa

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “Stoppa!

swept

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The bluff bows of the stern-wheeler had squelched into the soft brown mud, and the current had swept the boat alongside the bank.

tall

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

thrown

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Backa!” cried the native pilot to the European engineer.

top

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Above them, on the top of the bank, was ranged the line of donkeys, and the air was full of the clamour of the boys.

uniforms

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

up

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

yellow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.

zouave

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The long gangway was thrown across, and the six tall soldiers of the Soudanese escort filed along it, their light-blue, gold-trimmed zouave uniforms and their jaunty yellow and red forage caps showing up bravely in the clear morning light.