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The Kingdom of the Blind
The Kingdom of the Blind

Chapter III

Cover illustration for The Kingdom of the Blind
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.
The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.
She walked on, humming to herself.
As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.
His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.
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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 Kingdom of the Blind

Chapter III

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.
Line 2
The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.
Line 3
She walked on, humming to herself.
Line 4
As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.
Line 5
His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.”

Already noun US /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.”

Herself pronoun US /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading “She walked on, humming to herself.”

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.”

Suddenly noun US /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading “His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

abstracted

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

ago

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

air

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

alreadynounUS /already/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

atmosphere

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

brightening

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

clothes

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

companion

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

conscious

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

created

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

cross

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

dark

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

depression

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

dramatic

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

episode

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

escort

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

few

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

fugitive

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

Geraldine

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

girl's

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

glanced

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading She walked on, humming to herself.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

humming

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

From this reading She walked on, humming to herself.

involuntarily

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

manner

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

minutes

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

momentary

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

occasioned

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She walked on, humming to herself.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

paused

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

Piccadilly

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

rather

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

rays

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

Ritz

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

road

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She walked on, humming to herself.

sombreness

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

sunshine

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading As they paused to cross the road, she glanced as though involuntarily at her companion.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The momentary depression occasioned by the dramatic little episode of a few minutes ago, seemed already to have passed from the girl’s manner.

walked

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

From this reading She walked on, humming to herself.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A few rays of fugitive sunshine were brightening Piccadilly when Geraldine and her escort left the Ritz.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading His dark morning clothes and rather abstracted air created an atmosphere of sombreness about him of which she was suddenly conscious.