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New Grub Street
New Grub Street

Chapter XXXV · Rewards

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Context Illustration Reading 1/52 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.
This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.
Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.
The position of the family was desperate.
Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.
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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.

New Grub Street

Chapter XXXV · Rewards

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.
Line 2
This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.
Line 3
Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.
Line 4
The position of the family was desperate.
Line 5
Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

Learner Dictionary

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

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.”

Short adjective US /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading “This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.”

Themselves pronoun US /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading “This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.”

All words in this reading · 95

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 This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

adequately

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

age

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

Alfred

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

all

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

Anxiety

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

arrived

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

assurance

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

attacks

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

believed

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

blindness

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

cataract

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

debility

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

declared

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

derived

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

desperate

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

From this reading The position of the family was desperate.

disorder

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

duration

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

effort

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

end

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

enough

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

evil

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

exercised

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

family

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

From this reading The position of the family was desperate.

fatal

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

favourable

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

fell

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

few

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

fifteen

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

fitting

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

health

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

hope

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

hundred

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

income

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

literary

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

Marian

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

moment

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

months

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

much

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

nervous

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

old

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

operation

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

position

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

From this reading The position of the family was desperate.

pounds

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

premature

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

produce

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

prospect

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

prudence

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

restoring

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

result

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔrt/

brief or direct in expression

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

suffered

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

supplement

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

symptoms

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

then

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

there

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

undermined

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

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

underwent

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

utmost

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

vision

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

From this reading This hope had but short duration; though the utmost prudence was exercised, evil symptoms declared themselves, and in a few months’ time all prospect of restoring his vision was at an end.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

winter

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Anxiety, and then the fatal assurance, undermined his health; with blindness, there fell upon him the debility of premature old age.

work

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

From this reading Marian had suffered much all the winter from attacks of nervous disorder, and by no effort of will could she produce enough literary work to supplement adequately the income derived from her fifteen hundred pounds.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.

Yule

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

From this reading When the fitting moment arrived, Alfred Yule underwent an operation for cataract, and it was believed at first that the result would be favourable.