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A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities

Book II · Chapter XXIII · Fire Rises

Read and study this complete chapter with synchronized narration, pronunciation, and vocabulary support.

There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

Fire Rises, reading 1: There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the…
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.
The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.
Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.
Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.
Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.
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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.

A Tale of Two Cities

Book II · Chapter XXIII · Fire Rises

Study this chapter through synchronized reading, listening, pronunciation, and contextual vocabulary.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.
Line 2
The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.
Line 3
Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.
Line 4
Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.
Line 5
Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

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

everything pronoun US /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things or all the things in a particular situation

From this reading “Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.”

ignorant adjective US /ˈɪɡnərənt/

lacking knowledge or information about something

From this reading “There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.”

oppressed adjective US /əˈprest/

burdened, crushed, or kept down by hardship and unjust power

From this reading “Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.”

All words in this reading · 88

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

a

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

and

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

as

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

be

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

beyond

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

blade

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

body

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

bowed

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

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

bread

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

broken

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

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

but

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

change

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

country

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

crag

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

daily

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

dejected

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

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

desolation

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

do

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

dominant

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

down

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

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

Every

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things or all the things in a particular situation

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

Far

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

fell

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

for

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

forth

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

fountain

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

grain

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

grass

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

green

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

guard

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

hammer

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

he

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

highway

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

his

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

hold

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

ignorantadjectiveUS /ˈɪɡnərənt/

lacking knowledge or information about something

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

it

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

knew

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

lay

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

leaf

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

many

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

men

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

mender

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

might

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

miserable

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

morsels

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

not

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

nothing

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

of

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

officers

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

on

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

one

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

oppressedadjectiveUS /əˈprest/

burdened, crushed, or kept down by hardship and unjust power

From this reading Everything was bowed down, dejected, oppressed, and broken.

ordered

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

out

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

patches

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

people

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

poor

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

prison

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

probably

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

reduced

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

roads

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

ruined

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

serve

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

shrivelled

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

From this reading Every green leaf, every blade of grass and blade of grain, was as shrivelled and poor as the miserable people.

so

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

soldiers

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

soul

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

stones

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

such

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

that

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

the

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

them

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

There

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

this

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

to

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

together

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

village

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

was

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

went

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

were

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

what

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

where

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

From this reading There was a change on the village where the fountain fell, and where the mender of roads went forth daily to hammer out of the stones on the highway such morsels of bread as might serve for patches to hold his poor ignorant soul and his poor reduced body together.

wide

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

would

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.

yielding

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

From this reading Far and wide lay a ruined country, yielding nothing but desolation.

yore

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

From this reading The prison on the crag was not so dominant as of yore; there were soldiers to guard it, but not many; there were officers to guard the soldiers, but not one of them knew what his men would do--beyond this: that it would probably not be what he was ordered.