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The Undying Fire: A contemporary novel
The Undying Fire: A contemporary novel

Chapter III

Cover illustration for The Undying Fire: A contemporary novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/94 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.
What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?
Where does it come in?
What’s its practical value?
Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Undying Fire: A contemporary novel

Chapter III

Reading 1/94 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.
Line 2
What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?
Line 3
Where does it come in?
/wer dʌz ɪt come ɪn/
Line 4
What’s its practical value?
Line 5
Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

Learner Dictionary

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

Being auxiliary verb US /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading “What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Where does it come in?”

Done noun US /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.”

Question noun US /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading “Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.”

All words in this reading · 44

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 What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

all

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

away

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

busy

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

From this reading “We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.

came

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Where does it come in?

definite

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Where does it come in?

donenounUS /done/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

getting

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

Huss

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

From this reading “We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.

imperfect

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Where does it come in?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Where does it come in?

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading What’s its practical value?

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

men

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

From this reading “We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.

Mr

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

From this reading “We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

plain

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

practical

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

From this reading What’s its practical value?

questionnounUS /ˈquestion/

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

satisfaction

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

scheme

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

settle

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

talk

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

value

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

From this reading What’s its practical value?

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

We're

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

From this reading “We’re busy men, Mr. Huss.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?

What's

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

From this reading What’s its practical value?

WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where does it come in?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

Words

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

From this reading Words it is, all words, and getting away from the plain and definite question we came to talk over and settle and have done with.

world

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

From this reading What do _we_ know of the world being a scheme of imperfect satisfaction and what all?