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A Crooked Path: A Novel
A Crooked Path: A Novel

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for A Crooked Path: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
RECOGNITION.
"After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.
She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.
"Life is very cruel," she returned.
"Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Crooked Path: A Novel

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
RECOGNITION.
Line 2
"After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.
Line 3
She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.
Line 4
"Life is very cruel," she returned.
Line 5
"Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “"After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.”

Cruel adjective US /ˈkruːəl/

causing pain or showing no kindness

From this reading “"Life is very cruel," she returned.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.”

Neither determiner US /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading “"Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.”

Returned noun US /ˈreturned/

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

From this reading “"Life is very cruel," she returned.”

Speak noun US /speak/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.”

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.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

all

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

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

alter

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

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

aside

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

cheer

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/

causing pain or showing no kindness

From this reading "Life is very cruel," she returned.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

friend

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

going

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

how

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

inexhaustible

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

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

Katherine

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

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

laid

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

law

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

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

NeitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

often

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

pitiless

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

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

Rachel

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

RECOGNITION

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

From this reading RECOGNITION.

repentance

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

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

returnednounUS /ˈreturned/

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

From this reading "Life is very cruel," she returned.

said

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

From this reading "After all, life is inexhaustible," said Katherine.

see

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

sorrow

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

From this reading "Neither sorrow nor repentance can alter its pitiless law.

speak

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

speaking

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

Trant

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

very

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

From this reading "Life is very cruel," she returned.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.

work

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

From this reading She was speaking to Rachel Trant, who had laid aside her work to speak with the good friend who had come, as she often did, to see how she was going on and to cheer her.