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The Blazed Trail
The Blazed Trail

Chapter XXI

Cover illustration for The Blazed Trail
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.
To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.
This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.
When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.
The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.
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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.

The Blazed Trail

Chapter XXI

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.
Line 2
To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.
Line 3
This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.
Line 4
When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.
Line 5
The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

Learner Dictionary

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

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.”

Current noun US /ˈcurrent/

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

From this reading “When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.”

Directly noun US /ˈdirectly/

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

From this reading “This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.”

Imagine noun US /ˈimagine/

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

From this reading “To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.”

Length noun US /leŋθ/

a period of time or extent

From this reading “To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.”

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

banks

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

bed

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

broke

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

dangerous

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

delicacy

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

directlynounUS /ˈdirectly/

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

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

down

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

end

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

feet

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

floated

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

four

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

imaginenounUS /ˈimagine/

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

interesting

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

lay

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

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

lengthnounUS /leŋθ/

a period of time or extent

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

logs

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

mass

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

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

means

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

mile

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

million

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

piecemeal

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

pile

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

piled

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

process

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

From this reading The process is an interesting and dangerous one, and one of great delicacy.

separated

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

solid

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

some

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

stream

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

timber

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

tremendous

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

From this reading This tremendous mass lay directly in the course of the stream.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

up

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

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When the winter broke up, it had to be separated and floated piecemeal down the current.

winter

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

From this reading By the end of the winter some four million feet of logs were piled in the bed or upon the banks of the stream.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading To understand what that means, you must imagine a pile of solid timber a mile in length.