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

Chapter I

Cover illustration for The Unthinking Destroyer
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.
But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?
"Hey, Gordon!"
Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.
His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.
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.

The Unthinking Destroyer

Chapter I

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.
Line 2
But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?
Line 3
"Hey, Gordon!"
Line 4
Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.
Line 5
His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

Learner Dictionary

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

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.”

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?”

Thinking noun US /thinking/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?”

All words in this reading · 51

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 His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

admitted

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

beings

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

broke

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

canvas

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

D

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

dangling

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

direction

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

dirt-stained

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

entities

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

form

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

garden

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

glove

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

Gordon

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

Harold

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

Hey

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

From this reading "Hey, Gordon!"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

human

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

Marlow

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

mouth

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

other

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

Ph

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

physical

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

possibility

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

recognize

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

revealed

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

smile

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

some

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

straightened

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

teeth

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?

thinkingnounUS /thinking/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Gordon and Harold both admitted the possibility of thinking entities other than human.

trowel

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

turned

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

up

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

voice

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

white

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

From this reading Gordon Marlow, Ph.D., straightened up and turned in the direction of the voice, the garden trowel dangling in his dirt-stained white canvas glove.

wide

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

From this reading His wide mouth broke into a smile that revealed even white teeth.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading But would they ever recognize the physical form of some of these beings?