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Barriers Burned Away
Barriers Burned Away

Chapter XXVIII

Cover illustration for Barriers Burned Away
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.
She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.
To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.
But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.
It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Barriers Burned Away

Chapter XXVIII

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

Line 1
REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.
Line 2
She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.
Line 3
To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.
Line 4
But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.
Line 5
It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

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 “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Brought noun US /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Itself pronoun US /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading “It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.”

Ought modal verb US /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading “But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.”

Point noun US /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading “REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.”

Rest noun US /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.”

All words in this reading · 64

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 REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

almost

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

artist

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

broughtnounUS /ˈbrought/

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

choicest

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

Christine

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

delighted

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

enjoyment

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

experience

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

fable

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

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

felt

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

happiness

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

Highlands

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

Hudson

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

nature

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

now

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

old

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

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

once

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

paradise

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

passion

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

peculiar

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

PointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

power

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

profusion

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

REMORSE

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

repeating

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

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

restnounUS /rest/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

saw

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

side

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

sketching

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

source

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

Tantalus

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

From this reading It was the old fable of Tantalus repeating itself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

thoroughly

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

unmingled

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

West

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

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading REMORSE Christine had a peculiar experience while at West Point.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading To her artist nature, and with her passion and power for sketching, the Highlands on the Hudson were paradise.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading She saw on every side what would have brought her the choicest enjoyment, had her mind been at rest.

wretched

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

From this reading But though she saw in profusion what once would have delighted her, and what she now felt ought to be the source of almost unmingled happiness, she was still thoroughly wretched.