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A Son of the Sun
A Son of the Sun

Chapter I

Cover illustration for A Son of the Sun
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.
From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.
Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.
Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.
Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.
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Speed 0.75x
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 Son of the Sun

Chapter I

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.
Line 2
From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.
Line 3
Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.
Line 4
Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.
Line 5
Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

Learner Dictionary

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

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.”

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.”

Passage noun US /ˈpassage/

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

From this reading “The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.”

Several noun US /ˈseveral/

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

From this reading “Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

anchor

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

anchored

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

beach

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

bottom

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

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

came

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

chain

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

chain's

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

clean

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

coral

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

crossing

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

feet

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

fetching

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

finally

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

floor

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

gave

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

glass-like

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

hundred

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

idle

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

latter

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

lay

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

lazy

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

Like

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

living

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

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

low

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

monstrous

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

more

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

murmur

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

Narrow

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

ocean

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

outer-reef

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

passagenounUS /ˈpassage/

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

place

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

pounded

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

recrossing

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

rode

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

room

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

rusty

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

sand

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

several

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

sheltered

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

shoalest

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

shore-reef

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

slack

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

smoothness

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

snake

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

some

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

stretch

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

surf

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

swing

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

times

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

traced

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

From this reading Its course could be traced over the bottom of living coral.

up

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

up-and-down

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

wandered

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

From this reading Like some monstrous snake, the rusty chain's slack wandered over the ocean floor, crossing and recrossing itself several times and fetching up finally at the idle anchor.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

water

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

white

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.

Willi-Waw

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

From this reading The _Willi-Waw_ lay in the passage between the shore-reef and the outer-reef.

Willi-Waw's

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

From this reading Narrow as was the passage, and anchored as she was in the shoalest place that gave room to swing, the _Willi-Waw's_ chain rode up-and-down a clean hundred feet.

yards

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

From this reading From the latter came the low murmur of a lazy surf, but the sheltered stretch of water, not more than a hundred yards across to the white beach of pounded coral sand, was of glass-like smoothness.