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A sham princess
A sham princess

Chapter XI

Cover illustration for A sham princess
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.
He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.
Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.
She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.
"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.
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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 sham princess

Chapter XI

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.
Line 2
He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.
Line 3
Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.
Line 4
She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.
Line 5
"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

Learner Dictionary

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

Appetite noun US /ˈæpətaɪt/

a desire for food

From this reading “Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.”

Began noun US /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.”

Ere conjunction US /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading “Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.”

Princess noun US /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading “A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.”

Suddenly noun US /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading “Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.”

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

all

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

appetitenounUS /ˈæpətaɪt/

a desire for food

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

aside

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

back

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

begannounUS /began/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

BERT

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

day

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

eagerly

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

easily

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

eat

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

eaten

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

enabled

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

ereconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

failed

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

Flash

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

full

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

how

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

hurried

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

ill

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

Light

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

limited

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

many

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

means

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

more

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

mouthfuls

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

nicest

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

out

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

packages

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

plate

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

Prin

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

PrincessnounUS /ˈprɪn.ses/

The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

proceeded

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

provide

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

pushed

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

said

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

From this reading She pushed her plate aside, and said she could eat no more.

satisfied

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

set

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

small

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

suddenlynounUS /ˈsuddenly/

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

supper

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

From this reading He proceeded to set out the nicest supper his limited means had enabled him to provide.

swallowed

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

From this reading Prin began to eat eagerly, but ere she had swallowed many mouthfuls, her appetite suddenly failed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

unable

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

Why

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

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A Flash of Light BERT hurried back to the Princess with his hands full of small packages.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why, Prin, you must be ill," Bert said, unable to understand how one who had eaten nothing all day could be so easily satisfied.