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Buffalo Bill's ruse
Buffalo Bill's ruse

Chapter XXXVII

Cover illustration for Buffalo Bill's ruse
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A GIRL’S HEROISM.
When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.
The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.
It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.
She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.
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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.

Buffalo Bill's ruse

Chapter XXXVII

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A GIRL’S HEROISM.
Line 2
When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.
Line 3
The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.
Line 4
It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.
Line 5
She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

Learner Dictionary

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

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.”

Burglar noun US /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/

A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.

From this reading “It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.”

Feeling noun US /ˈfeeling/

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

From this reading “The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 A GIRL’S HEROISM.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

any

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

away

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

breach

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

breaking

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

built

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

burglarnounUS /ˈbɝː.ɡlɚ/

A person who commits illegal entry into a building with intent to steal valuable treasures.

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

calmness

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

carefully

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

consider

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

discover

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

door

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

earth

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

efforts

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

Ellen

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

escape

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

feelingnounUS /ˈfeeling/

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

floor

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

fright

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

GIRL'S

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

From this reading A GIRL’S HEROISM.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

hard-beaten

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

HEROISM

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

From this reading A GIRL’S HEROISM.

hut

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

method

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

more

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

out

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

resisted

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

searched

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

shock

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

situation

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

some

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

strong

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

strongly

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

studied

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

terror

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

too

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

trying

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

tunnel

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

walls

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

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The feeling that she must escape was so strong that she searched the little hut carefully, trying to discover some method of breaking out.

West

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

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When the first shock of fright and terror had passed away, Ellen West began to consider her situation with more calmness.

wondering

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

From this reading She studied the floor of hard-beaten earth, wondering if she could not tunnel under the walls.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It would not have resisted the efforts of a good burglar, but it was built too strongly for her to make any breach in the walls or door.