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Mary Gray
Mary Gray

Chapter VII

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Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.
"A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.
"The Bar is always a stepping-stone.
I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.
But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."
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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.

Mary Gray

Chapter VII

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.
Line 2
"A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.
Line 3
"The Bar is always a stepping-stone.
Line 4
I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.
Line 5
But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."

Learner Dictionary

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

Left noun US /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.”

Look noun US /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.”

Ought modal verb US /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading “"A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.”

Something pronoun US /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading “"A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

always

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

From this reading "The Bar is always a stepping-stone.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

avowed

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

Bar

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

bent

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."

career

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

CHANCE

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

confess

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

don't

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

Drummond

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

General

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

intention

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

interests

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

From this reading But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."

irate

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "The Bar is always a stepping-stone.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

law

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

From this reading But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."

leftnounUS /left/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

London

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

looknounUS /look/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

making

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

man

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading But the law interests me, and it is always a stepping-stone."

MEETING

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

much

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

Oxford

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

politics

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

practice

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

reading

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

real

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

Robin

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

said

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

settled

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

Sir

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

stepping-stone

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

From this reading "The Bar is always a stepping-stone.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

uncle

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

very

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

From this reading I confess I don't look to practice very much; my real bent is for politics.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.

world

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

From this reading "A man ought to do something in the world," he said to his irate uncle.

worse

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

From this reading A CHANCE MEETING It was worse for the General when Sir Robin Drummond left Oxford and settled in London, with an avowed intention of reading for the Bar, and at the same time making politics his real career.