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

Chapter VIII

Cover illustration for Gloriana
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Were you in the Commons last night?
Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”
“Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.
I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”
“What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Gloriana

Chapter VIII

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Were you in the Commons last night?
Line 2
Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”
Line 3
“Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.
Line 4
I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”
Line 5
“What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

Learner Dictionary

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

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.””

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.””

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.””

Hear noun US /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?””

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Were you in the Commons last night?”

Sure noun US /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!””

Think noun US /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading ““Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.”

Wonderful noun US /ˈwonderful/

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

From this reading ““What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!””

All words in this reading · 37

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 I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

all

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

Commons

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

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

crowd

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

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

D'Estrange

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

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

don't

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

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

go

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

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

hearnounUS /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

Hector

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

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

night

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

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

Rather

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

seen

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

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

speaker

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

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading I don’t think I have ever seen such a crowd before.”

surenounUS /sure/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

there

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

thinknounUS /think/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Did you go to hear Hector D’Estrange?”

trying

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

wonderfulnounUS /ˈwonderful/

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

From this reading “What a wonderful speaker he is, to be sure!”

world

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

From this reading “Rather; I think all the world was there, or trying to be there.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Were you in the Commons last night?