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Celibates
Celibates

Chapter II

Cover illustration for Celibates
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.
Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'
'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.
I did believe, but I had not thought much then.
Remember, I was only eighteen.'
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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.

Celibates

Chapter II

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.
Line 2
Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'
Line 3
'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.
Line 4
I did believe, but I had not thought much then.
Line 5
Remember, I was only eighteen.'

Learner Dictionary

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

Believe noun US /ˈbelieve/

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

From this reading “'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.”

Everything pronoun US /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading “Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'”

Remember verb US /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading “Remember, I was only eighteen.'”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I did believe, but I had not thought much then.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

Alfred

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

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

all

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

anger

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

believenounUS /ˈbelieve/

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

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I did believe, but I had not thought much then.

changing

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

decisively

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading I did believe, but I had not thought much then.

eighteen

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

From this reading Remember, I was only eighteen.'

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

face

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

grew

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I did believe, but I had not thought much then.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

knew

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

lie

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

much

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

From this reading I did believe, but I had not thought much then.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

only

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

From this reading Remember, I was only eighteen.'

pale

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

promises

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

RememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/

To recall to mind.

From this reading Remember, I was only eighteen.'

said

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

spoken

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

succeed

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

Then

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I did believe, but I had not thought much then.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

tried

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

From this reading 'No, Alfred, I tried to believe.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

words

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The words were spoken so decisively that he knew he would not succeed in changing her.

wretched

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

you've

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

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Then his face grew pale with anger, and he said: 'Then everything you've said--all your promises--everything was a lie, a wretched lie.'