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The castaways of the flag
The castaways of the flag

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for The castaways of the flag
Context Illustration Reading 1/54 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.
The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.
It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.
For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.
At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.
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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.

The castaways of the flag

Chapter VII

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.
Line 2
The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.
Line 3
It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.
Line 4
For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.
Line 5
At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.”

Drink noun US /drink/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.”

During preposition US /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading “It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.”

Except preposition US /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading “For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.”

Outside noun US /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading “At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading “TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.”

TIME noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

air

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

bad

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

bask

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

better

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

capital

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

CaptainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

carried

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

cave

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

dark

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

dawn

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

day

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

depth

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

difficult

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

disadvantage

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

drink

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

earliest

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

find

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

Gould

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

hollowed

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

inside

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

invigorating

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

light

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

made

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

night

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

occupied

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

only

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

out

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

outsidenounUS /ˈoutside/

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

provided

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

quarters

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

rather

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

recesses

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

rooms

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

salt

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

separate

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

sunshine

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

From this reading At earliest dawn Captain Gould would be carried outside, to drink in the salt, invigorating air and bask in the sunshine.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

TIMEnounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

TRIAL

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.

trifling

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

various

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

From this reading The various recesses hollowed out inside it made capital separate rooms.

varying

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

very

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

weather

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

From this reading For, except in bad weather, it would only be occupied at night.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It was a trifling disadvantage, that these recesses, which were of varying depth, were rather dark during the day, and that the cave itself was never very light.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading TIME OF TRIAL It would have been difficult to find better quarters than those provided by this cave.