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Decision
Decision

Chapter I

Cover illustration for Decision
Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The captain had learned to hate.
It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.
But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.
The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.
He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.
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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.

Decision

Chapter I

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The captain had learned to hate.
Line 2
It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.
Line 3
But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.
Line 4
The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.
Line 5
He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

Learner Dictionary

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

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.”

Bulkhead noun US /ˈbʌlkˌhɛd/

an upright partition inside a ship

From this reading “He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “The captain had learned to hate.”

Dream noun US /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading “The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

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

From this reading “But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

adults

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

alarm

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

Alice

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

any

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

babies

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

battle

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

bed

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

bulkheadnounUS /ˈbʌlkˌhɛd/

an upright partition inside a ship

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

called

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

captainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

caught

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

channeled

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

children

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

dreamnounUS /driːm/

A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

exist

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

felt

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

forever

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

going

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

gong

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

grown

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

hate

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

hatred

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

hearing

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

house

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

immediately

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

jacket

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

learned

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

maximum

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

middle

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

more

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

now

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

Ohio

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

out

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

pants

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

personal

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

place

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

profession

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

really

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

reason

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

rolled

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

sailor

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

shoes

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

slipped

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

small

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The captain had learned to hate.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

town

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

truths

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

use

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

From this reading But even hatred has to be channeled for its maximum use, and no truths exist forever.

very

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was his profession--and his personal reason for going on.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

white

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading He rolled out of his bed immediately on hearing the gong, as any good sailor would, and slipped into his pants and shoes and felt around the bulkhead for his life jacket.

young

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

From this reading The battle alarm caught him in the middle of a dream, a dream that took place in a white house in a small town in Ohio, when both he and Alice had been very young and the grown adults he now called his children had really been little more than babies.