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Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
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Backlog Studies
Backlog Studies

Chapter IX

Cover illustration for Backlog Studies
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MANDEVILLE.
I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.
I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.
You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.
The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.
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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.

Backlog Studies

Chapter IX

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MANDEVILLE.
Line 2
I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.
Line 3
I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.
Line 4
You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.
Line 5
The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

Learner Dictionary

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

Books noun US /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading “I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.”

Ourselves pronoun US /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading “I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.”

Senses plural noun US /ˈsɛnsɪz/

powers of perception and awareness

From this reading “The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.”

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.”

Wilderness noun US /ˈwɪldərnəs/

a wild area where few people live

From this reading “I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

attempted

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

become

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

bunch

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

carries

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

celery

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

go

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

goes

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

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

hold

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

improve

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

instincts

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

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

kind

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

MANDEVILLE

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

From this reading MANDEVILLE.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

newspaper

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

offer

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

often

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

ourselvespronounUS /aʊərˈselvz/

used when we are both doing the action and receiving it

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

oyster

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

reason

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

sensesplural nounUS /ˈsɛnsɪz/

powers of perception and awareness

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

sleep

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

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

solid

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

there

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

up

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

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

vegetable

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

wake

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

From this reading The mind goes to sleep: the senses and the instincts wake up.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

well

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

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

why

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

a wild area where few people live

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

woods

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

From this reading I have often attempted to improve my mind in the woods with good solid books.

world

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

From this reading I think the reason why the newspaper and the world it carries take no hold of us in the wilderness is that we become a kind of vegetable ourselves when we go there.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You might as well offer a bunch of celery to an oyster.