Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Young Auctioneers
Young Auctioneers

Chapter XIX

Cover illustration for Young Auctioneers
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.
It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.
The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.
That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.
"Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.
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.

Young Auctioneers

Chapter XIX

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.
Line 2
It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.
Line 3
The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.
Line 4
That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.
Line 5
"Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

Learner Dictionary

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

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “"Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.”

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.”

Within preposition US /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading “That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.”

All words in this reading · 74

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 OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

arm

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

auctioneer

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

BAD

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

From this reading OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

catch

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

confessed

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

danger

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

go

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

heart

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

less

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

man

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

Matt's

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

men

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

more

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

nature

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

now

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

OUT

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

From this reading OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.

placed

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

presumed

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

realized

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

said

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

sank

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

saying

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

SCRAPE

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

From this reading OUT OF A BAD SCRAPE.

shanty

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

shelter

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

situation

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

sought

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

sternly

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

From this reading "Let go of me!" he said sternly to the first man, who had presumed to catch him by the arm.

storm

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

surrounded

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

thoroughly

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

three

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

tramps

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

true

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

undoubtedly

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

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

unscrupulous

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The three men who had surrounded him were nothing more or less than tramps who had undoubtedly sought shelter in the shanty from the storm.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading That they were thoroughly unscrupulous men went without saying, and it must be confessed that Matt's heart sank within him as he realized the danger in which he was placed.

young

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

From this reading It did not take the young auctioneer long to understand the true nature of the situation in which he now found himself.