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Exit Betty
Exit Betty

Chapter XVII

Cover illustration for Exit Betty
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.
He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.
He felt the family expected him some time soon.
Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.
They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.
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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.

Exit Betty

Chapter XVII

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.
Line 2
He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.
Line 3
He felt the family expected him some time soon.
Line 4
Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.
Line 5
They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

Learner Dictionary

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

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.”

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading “They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.”

Drew noun US /drew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.”

Perhaps noun US /perhaps/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He felt the family expected him some time soon.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He felt the family expected him some time soon.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.”

All words in this reading · 60

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

automobile

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

Bi

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

BOB

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

breakfast

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

chickens

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

door

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

drewnounUS /drew/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

driver

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

dropped

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

edge

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

eggs

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

expected

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

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

family

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

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

feeding

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

felt

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

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

finished

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

fresh

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

house

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

hurried

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

Hutton

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

just

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

lawyer

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

looking

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

mother

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

nice

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

only

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

Perhaps

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

rather

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

return

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

see

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

some

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

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

soon

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

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

there

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He felt the family expected him some time soon.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

up

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

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

village

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

want

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was rather looking for the return of that nice lawyer again.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They had dropped Bi at the edge of the village and there were only Hutton and the driver who had brought them.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading BOB had just finished feeding the chickens when the automobile drew up at the door, and he hurried around the house to see who it might be.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Perhaps he would be to breakfast and mother would want some fresh eggs.