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Blake's Burden
Blake's Burden

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for Blake's Burden
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.
The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.
When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.
It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.
Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.
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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.

Blake's Burden

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.
Line 2
The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.
Line 3
When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.
Line 4
It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.
Line 5
Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

Learner Dictionary

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

Among preposition US /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading “Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.”

Remember verb US /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading “CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.”

Sharply noun US /ˈsharply/

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

From this reading “When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.”

Short adjective US /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading “Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.”

SUMMONS noun US /ˈsʌmənz/

an official order to appear or respond

From this reading “CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.”

All words in this reading · 94

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 When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

afterwards

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

banks

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

bench

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

breathless

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

canes

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

cause

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

CLARKE'S

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

crawled

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

deep

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

down

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

entangled

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

faint

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

floundered

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

forced

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

gorge

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

got

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

grew

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

ground

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

Harding

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

haze

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

hill

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

hollows

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

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

hot

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

knew

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

large

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

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

led

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

light

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

lose

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

low

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

made

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

march

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

muskeg

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

path

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

pine-scrub

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

pools

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

ragged

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

reached

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

shallow

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

sharplynounUS /ˈsharply/

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

sinking

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

slipping

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

softer

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

splashing

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

spots

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

stones

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

Stony

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

streaked

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

struggled

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

stumbled

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

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

SUMMONSnounUS /ˈsʌmənz/

an official order to appear or respond

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

Then

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

there

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

thick

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

thickets

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

thorny

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

trick

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

trod

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

up

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

upwards

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

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

village

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

wet

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading When they reached the first hill bench he was hot and breathless, and their path led sharply upwards over banks of ragged stones which had a trick of slipping down when they trod on them.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading CLARKE'S SUMMONS Harding, who knew there was no time to lose, had cause to remember the forced march he made to the Stony village.

willows

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

From this reading Then they struggled through short pine-scrub, crawled up a wet gorge where thick willows grew, and afterwards got entangled among thickets of thorny canes.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The light was faint and the low ground streaked with haze as they floundered through the muskeg, sinking deep in the softer spots and splashing through shallow pools.

worse

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

From this reading It was worse where they were large and he stumbled into the hollows between.