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An Ambitious Man
An Ambitious Man

Chapter XX

Cover illustration for An Ambitious Man
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.
She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.
She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.
“It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.
“How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.
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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.

An Ambitious Man

Chapter XX

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.
Line 2
She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.
Line 3
She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.
Line 4
“It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.
Line 5
“How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

Learner Dictionary

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

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.”

Herself pronoun US /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading ““It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading ““How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

ago

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

apartment

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

appointing

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

Arthur

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

Arthur's

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

door

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

down

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

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

holding

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

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

How

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

interview

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

IRVING

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

JOY

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

later

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

letter

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

meeting

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

message

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

moment

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

only

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

penmanship

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

picked

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

place

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

postman's

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

recognised

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

rights

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

ring

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

said

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

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

sat

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

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

seems

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

set

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

slipped

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

small

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

sounded

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

strange

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

Stuart's

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It is Arthur’s message, appointing a time and place for our meeting,” she said to herself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

trunks

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

unopened

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

From this reading She sat down, holding the unopened letter in her hands.

unpacked

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

up

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

From this reading She picked it up, and recognised Arthur Stuart’s penmanship.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading JOY IRVING had unpacked her trunks and set her small apartment to rights, when the postman’s ring sounded, and a moment later a letter was slipped under her door.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

yesterday

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

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “How long ago that strange interview with him seems!—yet it was only yesterday.