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The programmed people
The programmed people

Chapter IX

Cover illustration for The programmed people
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.
"This won't be pleasant," he warned.
"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.
I can't much blame her, either."
He stopped as the door opened.
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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 programmed people

Chapter IX

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.
Line 2
"This won't be pleasant," he warned.
Line 3
"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.
Line 4
I can't much blame her, either."
Line 5
He stopped as the door opened.

Learner Dictionary

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

Anything pronoun US /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading “"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.”

Done noun US /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.”

Either determiner US /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading “I can't much blame her, either."”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"This won't be pleasant," he warned.”

Quite noun US /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.”

Stopped noun US /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He stopped as the door opened.”

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.”

All words in this reading · 48

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

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

Arriving

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He stopped as the door opened.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

bell

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

blame

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

From this reading I can't much blame her, either."

can't

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

From this reading I can't much blame her, either."

don't

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

donenounUS /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

door

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading I can't much blame her, either."

finger

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

getting

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

going

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

Grace

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading I can't much blame her, either."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

Horton's

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

I've

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

involved

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

like

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

Lloyd

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

mean

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

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

much

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

From this reading I can't much blame her, either."

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

opened

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

From this reading He stopped as the door opened.

paused

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

pressing

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

quitenounUS /quite/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

stoppednounUS /stopped/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He stopped as the door opened.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

Unit

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

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

warned

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

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Arriving at the door to Grace Horton's Unit, Lloyd paused with his finger not quite pressing the bell.

won't

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

From this reading "This won't be pleasant," he warned.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I've never done anything like this before--getting involved with you, I mean--and I don't think Grace is going to like it.