Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Blake's Burden
Blake's Burden

Chapter V

Cover illustration for Blake's Burden
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MRS.
KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.
"Why, Blake!" he cried.
"What have you got on?
Have you been serenading somebody?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Blake's Burden

Chapter V

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MRS.
Line 2
KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.
Line 3
"Why, Blake!" he cried.
Line 4
"What have you got on?
Line 5
Have you been serenading somebody?"

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 “Have you been serenading somebody?"”

Cried noun US /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Why, Blake!" he cried.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"What have you got on?”

Somebody pronoun US /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading “Have you been serenading somebody?"”

Sometimes noun US /sometimes/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.”

All words in this reading · 43

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 KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Have you been serenading somebody?"

big

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

black

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

Blake

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

From this reading "Why, Blake!" he cried.

brushed

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

cigar

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

cloak

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

criednounUS /cried/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Why, Blake!" he cried.

French-Canadians

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

GETS

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

got

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

From this reading "What have you got on?

Harding

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "What have you got on?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Why, Blake!" he cried.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

KEITH

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

loose

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

man

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

mittens

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

MRS

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

From this reading MRS.

old-fashioned

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "What have you got on?

out

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

past

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

serenading

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

From this reading Have you been serenading somebody?"

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading Have you been serenading somebody?"

sometimes

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

SURPRISE

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

taking

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

use

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

vestibule

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

wearing

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

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "What have you got on?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading KEITH GETS A SURPRISE Harding was taking out a cigar in the vestibule when a man brushed past him wearing big mittens and a loose black cloak such as old-fashioned French-Canadians sometimes use.

Why

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

From this reading "Why, Blake!" he cried.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "What have you got on?