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In Kedar's Tents
In Kedar's Tents

Chapter XIX · On the Talavera Road

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’
AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.
They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.
They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.
The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.
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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.

In Kedar's Tents

Chapter XIX · On the Talavera Road

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’
Line 2
AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.
Line 3
They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.
Line 4
They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.
Line 5
The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

Learner Dictionary

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

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.”

Around preposition US /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading “They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.”

Beneath preposition US /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading “The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.”

Fortune noun US /ˈfortune/

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

From this reading “They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.”

Shadow noun US /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading “AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.”

Towards preposition US /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading “The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

advantages

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

arid

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

bare

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

barrières

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

cards

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

cigarette

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

coinage

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

down

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

dusty

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

elder

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

ends

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

faut

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

fortunenounUS /ˈfortune/

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

Galvez

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

gambled

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

glanced

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

high

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

hour

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

hour's

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

il

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

illustrating

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

immediate

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

indiquer

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

indulgence

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

kindred

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

lay

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

Les

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

like

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

men

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

minute

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

neighbourhood

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

où

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

passer

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

plain

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

played

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

quietly

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

ride

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

road

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

rock

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

rocks

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

sat

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

servent

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

shoulder

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

siesta

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

sprinkling

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

Talavera

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

tape

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

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

testified

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

Toledo

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

Torrijos

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

two

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

varying

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

vice

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

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

village

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

vociferation

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

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

west

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

From this reading AN hour’s ride to the west of Toledo, on the road to Torrijos and Talavera, and in the immediate neighbourhood of the village of Galvez, two men sat in the shadow of a great rock, and played cards.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The elder of the two men glanced from time to time over his shoulder, and down towards the dusty high road which lay across the arid plain beneath them like a tape.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They had gambled with varying fortune since the hour of the siesta, and a sprinkling of cigarette ends on the bare rocks around them testified to the indulgence in a kindred vice.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading They played quietly and without vociferation, illustrating the advantages of a minute coinage.

à

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

From this reading ‘Les barrières servent à indiquer où il faut passer.’