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Submarine U93
Submarine U93

Chapter XVII · Number 758

Cover illustration for Submarine U93
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.
It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.
Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.
Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.
Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.
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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.

Submarine U93

Chapter XVII · Number 758

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.
Line 2
It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.
Line 3
Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.
Line 4
Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.
Line 5
Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

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 “The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.”

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.”

Every determiner US /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading “Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.”

Excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

Forwards noun US /ˈforwards/

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

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

However adverb US /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading “Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.”

Mysterious adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.”

Perhaps noun US /perhaps/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.”

All words in this reading · 85

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 Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

address

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

advisable

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

any

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

apparent

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

arms

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

attaché

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

backwards

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

business

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

CaptainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

Crouch

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

down

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

Edgware

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

From this reading Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.

else

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

end

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

Essling

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

extremely

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

face

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

feet

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

flinging

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

forwardsnounUS /ˈforwards/

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

German

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

improbable

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

knows

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

From this reading Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.

like

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

limping

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

Londoner

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

From this reading Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.

manner

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

matter-of-fact

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

memorandum

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

message

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

military

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

more

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

mysteriousadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

now

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

obvious

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

once

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

other

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

perhaps

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

plain

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

quick

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

read

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

Road

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

From this reading Every Londoner knows the Edgware Road.

room

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

Rosencrantz

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

Stork

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

strange

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

talking

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

voice

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

von

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

whole

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

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

windmill

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

From this reading Captain Crouch was once again upon his feet, limping backwards and forwards from one end of the room to the other, talking in a quick, excited voice, and flinging his arms about him like a windmill.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The more they thought about the whole strange, mysterious business, the more was it apparent that they were face to face with plain matter-of-fact.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

write

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

From this reading Stork, however, or perhaps Rosencrantz or von Essling, the German military attaché, had thought it advisable to write it down, and that in such a manner that it would be extremely improbable that any one else could read it.

written

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

From this reading It was now obvious that the written message was nothing more than the memorandum of an address.