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Feathers left around
Feathers left around

Chapter II

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Context Illustration Reading 1/58 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.
And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.
The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.
When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.
It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”
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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.

Feathers left around

Chapter II

Reading 1/58 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.
Line 2
And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.
Line 3
The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.
Line 4
When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.
Line 5
It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.””

Cordial noun US /cordial/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.””

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.”

Know noun US /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.””

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

accede

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

air

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

all

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

almost

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

aloof

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

also

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

any

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

CELEBRATED

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

charm

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

chose

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

command

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

cordialnounUS /cordial/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

courteous

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

courtesy

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

Curran

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

demeanor

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

dictatorship

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

eager

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

elected

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

entertain

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

exercise

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

factor

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

few

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

genial

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

geniality

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

GUEST

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

hearer

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

indifferent

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

knownounUS /know/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

LOFT

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

Loft's

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

loss

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

lure

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

made

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

most

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

Mr

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

personality

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

potency

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

rather

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

repellent

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

request

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

said

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

seem

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

smile

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

somehow

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

unresponsive

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

VALENTINE

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

variable

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

From this reading The charm of Loft’s personality was a variable factor.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A CELEBRATED GUEST VALENTINE LOFT was of most courteous even genial demeanor, but he also had an air of dictatorship about him that somehow made any request of his seem a command.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

we'll

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

week-end

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

wishes

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

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading And this with no loss of courtesy or geniality, but rather with a potency that made his hearer eager to accede to his wishes.

withstand

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

From this reading When he chose to exercise it, few could withstand its lure, but when he elected to be aloof or indifferent, he was so unresponsive as to be almost repellent.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”

you'll

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

From this reading It was with his most cordial smile that he said, “If you’ll come for the week-end, Mr. Curran, we’ll do all we can to entertain you, and I know you’ll entertain us.”