Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Bleak House
Bleak House

Chapter XII

Cover illustration for Bleak House
Context Illustration Reading 1/124 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.
The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.
The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.
The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.
Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Bleak House

Chapter XII

Reading 1/124 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.
Line 2
The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.
Line 3
The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.
Line 4
The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.
Line 5
Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

Learner Dictionary

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

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.”

Crew noun US /crew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.”

May modal verb US /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading “The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.”

All words in this reading · 80

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 The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

all

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

any

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

brazen-faced

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

Chancery

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

class

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

clients

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

clippers

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

copper-bottomed

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

courts

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

crewnounUS /crew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

drifted

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

Dutchman

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

encounter

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

Equity

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

fast-sailing

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

Flying

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

ghostly

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

Hall

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

heaven

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

hot

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

imploring

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

iron-fastened

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

knows

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

laid

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

Lane

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

Law

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

lie

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

means

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

Moving

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

nightingales

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

offices

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

ordinary

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

papers

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

peruse

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

public

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

regions

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

shady

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

ships

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

shut

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

sing

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

sleep

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

From this reading The courts are all shut up; the public offices lie in a hot sleep.

solitude

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

suitors

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

teak-built

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

tenderer

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

there

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

up

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

From this reading The good ships Law and Equity, those teak-built, copper-bottomed, iron-fastened, brazen-faced, and not by any means fast-sailing clippers are laid up in ordinary.

usually

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

vacation

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

From this reading Moving On It is the long vacation in the regions of Chancery Lane.

walk

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

Westminster

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

From this reading Westminster Hall itself is a shady solitude where nightingales might sing, and a tenderer class of suitors than is usually found there, walk.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The Flying Dutchman, with a crew of ghostly clients imploring all whom they may encounter to peruse their papers, has drifted, for the time being, heaven knows where.