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

Chapter VII · The Thatched Cottage

Cover illustration for Captain Jim
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.
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.

Captain Jim

Chapter VII · The Thatched Cottage

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.
Line 2
In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.
Line 3
A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.
Line 4
The white walls bore long panels of the same design.
Line 5
There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

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 “A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The white walls bore long panels of the same design.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The white walls bore long panels of the same design.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.”

Tumbling noun US /ˈtumbling/

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

From this reading “A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.”

All words in this reading · 77

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 But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

all

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

ballroom

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

beds

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

big

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

blush-roses

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

bore

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

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

button

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

carved

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

caught

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

ceiling

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

coming

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

cornice

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

Cupids

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

darkness

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

days

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

design

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

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

exquisite

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

famous

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

fell

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

fittings

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

flooded

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

glow

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

hardly

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

hospital

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

laughing

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

light

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

made

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

narrow

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

painter

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

palest

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

panels

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

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

room

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

soft

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

some

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

source

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

tendrils

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

There

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

touch

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

tumblingnounUS /ˈtumbling/

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

unseen

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

vaulted

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

vine-leaves

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

From this reading A famous painter had made the vaulted ceiling an exquisite thing of palest blush-roses and laughing Cupids, tumbling among vine-leaves and tendrils.

visible

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

walls

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

From this reading The white walls bore long panels of the same design.

war

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

ward

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

whirlpool

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

white

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There were no fittings for light visible: when darkness fell, the touch of a button flooded the room with a soft glow, coming from some unseen source in the carved cornice.

world

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

From this reading In days before all the world was caught into a whirlpool of war it had been a ballroom.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But for the narrow white beds, you would hardly have thought that the big room was a hospital ward.