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The Stories of the Three Burglars
The Stories of the Three Burglars

Chapter I

Cover illustration for The Stories of the Three Burglars
Context Illustration Reading 1/97 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.
I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.
My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.
My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.
But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.
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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 Stories of the Three Burglars

Chapter I

Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.
Line 2
I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.
Line 3
My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.
Line 4
My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.
Line 5
But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

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 am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.”

Myself pronoun US /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading “My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.”

Yet conjunction US /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading “My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.”

All words in this reading · 76

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 I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

aged

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

aspect

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

Aunt

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

boy

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

Burglars

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

From this reading The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

consists

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

country

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

detract

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

enough

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

family

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

frequent

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

George

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

house

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

householder

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

large

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

live

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

maid-servants

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

man

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

many

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

Martha

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

miles

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

mosquitoes

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

MydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

near

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

neighbourhood

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

neighbours

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

New

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

occasionally

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

paradise

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

purposes

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

rural

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

social

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

staying

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

Stories

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

From this reading The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.

summer

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

surroundings

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.

Three

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

From this reading The Stories of the Three Burglars THE STORIES OF THE THREE BURGLARS.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

too

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

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

troubled

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

From this reading But we do not live in a paradise; we are occasionally troubled by mosquitoes and burglars.

twenty

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.

two

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

visitors

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

wife

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

William

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

write

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

From this reading My family consists of myself and wife, our boy, George William, aged two, two maid-servants, and a man; but in the summer we have frequent visitors, and at the time of which I am about to write my Aunt Martha was staying with us.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading My house is large and pleasant, and we have neighbours near enough for social purposes and yet not too near or too many to detract from the rural aspect of our surroundings.

York

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

From this reading I am a householder in a pleasant country neighbourhood, about twenty miles from New York.