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The Star Guardsman
The Star Guardsman

Chapter II

Cover illustration for The Star Guardsman
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"So have I," Mark said grinning.
* * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.
It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.
It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.
"We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.
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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 Star Guardsman

Chapter II

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"So have I," Mark said grinning.
Line 2
* * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.
Line 3
It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.
Line 4
It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.
Line 5
"We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

Learner Dictionary

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

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.”

Forbidden adjective US /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading “It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"So have I," Mark said grinning.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.”

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.

achieve

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

addict

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

almost

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

cures

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

doses

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

drove

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

excess

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

forbiddenadjectiveUS /fərˈbɪd.ən/

Not allowed; banned or prohibited by rule or law.

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

gave

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

girl

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

From this reading * * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.

Gods

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

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

grinning

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

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

happiness

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

haven't

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

hopelessly

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

ineffable

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

insane

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

liquor

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

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

Mark

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

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

Martian

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

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

miraculous

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was the forbidden Martian liquor of the Gods.

permit

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

problem

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

reminded

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

said

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

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

sensation

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So have I," Mark said grinning.

solved

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

special

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

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

startled

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

From this reading * * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

taken

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

Thassalian

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

From this reading * * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading * * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

tiny

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading * * * * * "_Thassalian?_" the girl was startled.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "We still haven't solved the problem of the special permit," Mark reminded them.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It could achieve almost miraculous cures when taken in tiny doses; it gave the sensation of ineffable happiness, and when taken to excess, it drove the addict hopelessly insane.