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The Pit
The Pit

Chapter XXI

Cover illustration for The Pit
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?
Self, self.
Had she been selfish from the very first?
What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?
"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."
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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 Pit

Chapter XXI

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?
Line 2
Self, self.
Line 3
Had she been selfish from the very first?
Line 4
What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?
Line 5
"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Had she been selfish from the very first?”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Had she been selfish from the very first?”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."”

Help noun US /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."”

Right noun US /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “"Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."”

All words in this reading · 47

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

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

all

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

back

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

bad

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

beauty

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

display

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

dress

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

exploitation

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

fire

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

helpnounUS /help/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

husband

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

husband's

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

interest

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

parade

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

put

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

real

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

rightnounUS /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

self

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

selfish

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

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

taken

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

two

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

very

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

From this reading Had she been selfish from the very first?

Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

way

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

win

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

From this reading Was this, after all, the right way to win her husband back to her--this display of her beauty, this parade of dress, this exploitation of self?

work

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

From this reading What real interest had she taken in her husband's work?

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."

wrong

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

From this reading "Right or wrong, good or bad, I would put my two hands into the fire to help him."