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A Singular Life
A Singular Life

Chapter X

Cover illustration for A Singular Life
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.
“Give me those oars!”
“I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.
She did not move.
“_Give me those oars!_” thundered Bayard.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Singular Life

Chapter X

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.
Line 2
“Give me those oars!”
Line 3
“I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.
Line 4
She did not move.
Line 5
“_Give me those oars!_” thundered Bayard.

Learner Dictionary

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

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.”

Replied noun US /replied/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading ““Give me those oars!””

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.”

All words in this reading · 38

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

Bayard

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

From this reading “_Give me those oars!_” thundered Bayard.

better

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

boat

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

coldly

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

demanded

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading She did not move.

Didn't

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

far

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

Give

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

From this reading “Give me those oars!”

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

how

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

lady

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

manage

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Give me those oars!”

move

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

From this reading She did not move.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She did not move.

oars

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

From this reading “Give me those oars!”

out

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

repliednounUS /replied/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

setting

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She did not move.

shell

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “Give me those oars!”

thundered

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

From this reading “_Give me those oars!_” thundered Bayard.

tide

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Didn’t you know better than to take this shell--so far--with the tide setting out?” he demanded.

young

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

From this reading “I understand how to manage a boat,” replied the young lady coldly.