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

Chapter X

Cover illustration for Noémi
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
BY FIRE.
A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.
Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.
There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.
Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.
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.

Noémi

Chapter X

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
BY FIRE.
Line 2
A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.
Line 3
Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.
Line 4
There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.
Line 5
Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

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 “Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.”

Another noun US /ˈanother/

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

From this reading “Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.”

However adverb US /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.”

Mysterious adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.”

Save preposition US /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading “Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

air

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

all

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

anothernounUS /ˈanother/

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

answer

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

barking

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

begun

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY FIRE.

call

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

came

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

children

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

cluster

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

dog

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

dwelling

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

evening

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

farm

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

FIRE

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

From this reading BY FIRE.

forgetful

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

further

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

habitations

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

Hardly

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

heard

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

hiss

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

man

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

Now

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

out

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

play

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

river

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

run

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

seen

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

side

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

sound

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

stillness

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

STRANGE

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

sundown

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

then

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

There

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

From this reading There was, however, a mysterious hiss in the air about every dwelling and cluster of habitations.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

valley

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

Vézère

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

From this reading A STRANGE stillness came over the Vézère valley that evening at sundown.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Hardly a man was about, not a sound was heard save the barking of a dog in a farm on one side of the river, and the answer of another dog in one on the further side.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.

woman

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

From this reading Now and then a woman was seen, but it was to call in her children who had run out, and, forgetful of all that had passed, had begun to play.