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The Tempting of Tavernake
The Tempting of Tavernake

Chapter IX · The Joy of Battle

Cover illustration for The Tempting of Tavernake
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.
In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.
In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.
A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.
Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Tempting of Tavernake

Chapter IX · The Joy of Battle

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.
Line 2
In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.
Line 3
In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.
Line 4
A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.
Line 5
Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

Learner Dictionary

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

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading “Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.”

Waste noun US /weɪst/

an empty, uncultivated area of land

From this reading “Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.”

Wind noun US /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

air

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

almost

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

arms

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

away

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

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

birds

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

blew

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

cars

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

city

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

clanging

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

close

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

commotion

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

corner

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

electric

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

elm

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

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

faces

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

fallen

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

feet

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

field

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

filled

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

further

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

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

hand

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

hedge

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

immediately

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

miles

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

plots

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

rows

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

sat

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

shops

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

singing

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

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

soft

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

stretched

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

struggling

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

suburb

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

sunlight

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

thrush

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

From this reading In the elm tree, a little further away, a thrush was singing.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

topmost

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

tree

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

trunk

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

From this reading They sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, in the topmost corner of the field.

villas

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

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the hedge, close at hand, was a commotion of birds.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

an empty, uncultivated area of land

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.

west

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

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

windnounUS /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A soft west wind blew in their faces; the air immediately around them was filled with sunlight.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet almost to their feet stretched one of those great arms of the city--a suburb, with its miles of villas, its clanging of electric cars, its waste plots, its rows of struggling shops.