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The Second String
The Second String

Chapter II

Cover illustration for The Second String
Context Illustration Reading 1/85 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.
"It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.
He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."
"He asked you to take a friend.
Suppose I join you?"
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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 Second String

Chapter II

Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.
Line 2
"It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.
Line 3
He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."
Line 4
"He asked you to take a friend.
Line 5
Suppose I join you?"

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 “"I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.”

Anything pronoun US /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading “He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."”

Asked noun US /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"He asked you to take a friend.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.”

Pearl noun US /pɜːrl/

a smooth round object formed inside a shell and valued as a jewel

From this reading “"I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.”

Suppose noun US /ˈsuppose/

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

From this reading “Suppose I join you?"”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"He asked you to take a friend.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “"It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.”

All words in this reading · 41

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 "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

askednounUS /asked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "He asked you to take a friend.

Australia

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

Barry

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

cannot

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

cute

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

far

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

fishing

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

friend

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

From this reading "He asked you to take a friend.

hand

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

He's

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

Jack

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

join

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

From this reading Suppose I join you?"

likely

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

out

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

pearlnounUS /pɜːrl/

a smooth round object formed inside a shell and valued as a jewel

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

said

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

SupposenounUS /ˈsuppose/

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

From this reading Suppose I join you?"

tackle

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "He asked you to take a friend.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

too

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

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

Tuxford

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He's far too cute to tackle anything that is worked out, or likely to be, while he is in it."

worked

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

From this reading "I thought pearl fishing was about worked out in Australia," said Jack.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "It cannot be, or Barry Tuxford would not have a hand in it.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "He asked you to take a friend.