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Letters from America
Letters from America

Chapter III

Cover illustration for Letters from America
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.
It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.
It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.
One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.
It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.
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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.

Letters from America

Chapter III

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.
Line 2
It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.
Line 3
It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.
Line 4
One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.
Line 5
It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

Learner Dictionary

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

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

acquaintanceship

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

always

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

any

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

back

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

bright

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

certain

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

cheerful

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

city

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

clean-shaven

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

describe

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

difficult

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

distance

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

dressed

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

eccentricity

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

elusive

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

energetic

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

fairly

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

figures

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

friendship

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

healthy

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

indefinably

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

individuality

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

knows

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

looks

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

marches

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

meet

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

middle

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

modern

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

nearer

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

negligible

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

nice

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

normal

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

obvious

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

occupy

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

once

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

one's

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

own

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

parting

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

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

passably

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

people

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

personality

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

pink-faced

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

please

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

pronounce

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

public-school-and

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

queerness

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

respectably

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

shade

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

sociable

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

sort

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

standards

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

subtly

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

T'ranto

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It is always nice to meet them, and in parting one looks back at them once.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

Toronto

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

From this reading Toronto (pronounce _T'ranto_, please) is difficult to describe.

unintellectual

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

unobtrusive

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

varsity

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

wardens

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

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

well-to-do

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

From this reading It is a healthy, cheerful city (by modern standards); a clean-shaven, pink-faced, respectably dressed, fairly energetic, unintellectual, passably sociable, well-to-do, public-school-and-'varsity sort of city.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading One knows in one's own life certain bright and pleasant figures; people who occupy the nearer middle distance, unobtrusive but not negligible; wardens of the marches between acquaintanceship and friendship.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading It has an individuality, but an elusive one; yet not through any queerness or difficult shade of eccentricity; a subtly normal, an indefinably obvious personality.