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A Mere Accident
A Mere Accident

Chapter VII

Cover illustration for A Mere Accident
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.
The room!
Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?
Why does she shrink?
Nothing has been changed.
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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.

A Mere Accident

Chapter VII

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.
Line 2
The room!
Line 3
Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?
Line 4
Why does she shrink?
Line 5
Nothing has been changed.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Nothing has been changed.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “Nothing has been changed.”

Look noun US /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Nothing has been changed.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.”

All words in this reading · 38

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

all

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

aspects

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Nothing has been changed.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

changed

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

From this reading Nothing has been changed.

dim

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

eyes

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

flushed

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Nothing has been changed.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

Kitty

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

light

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

lived

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

looknounUS /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

many

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing has been changed.

quiet

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

room

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

sea

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

seen

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

shrink

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

From this reading Why does she shrink?

sky

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

strained

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

then

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

there

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The sky was still flushed, there was light upon the sea, but the room was dim and quiet.

why

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?

years

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

From this reading Kitty had seen it under all aspects, she had lived in it many years: then why does she look with strained eyes?