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Under One Flag
Under One Flag

Chapter X

Cover illustration for Under One Flag
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."
"Do!" she yelled.
Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!
'E's a-goin' to drown me!"
It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.
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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.

Under One Flag

Chapter X

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."
Line 2
"Do!" she yelled.
Line 3
Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!
Line 4
'E's a-goin' to drown me!"
Line 5
It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

Learner Dictionary

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

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

a-goin

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

From this reading 'E's a-goin' to drown me!"

absurd

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

afterthought

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

away

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

dear

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Do!" she yelled.

drown

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

From this reading 'E's a-goin' to drown me!"

E's

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

From this reading 'E's a-goin' to drown me!"

Elp

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

enough

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

especially

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

evinced

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

exhaust

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

giving

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

heard

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

I'll

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

lady

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

loud

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

madam

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading 'E's a-goin' to drown me!"

mile

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

misconstruing

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

move

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

murder

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

oneself

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

people

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

persist

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

police

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

sake

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

seat

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Do!" she yelled.

shore

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

shouting

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

show

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

signs

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

situation

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

Then

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

From this reading Then, as an afterthought, "'Elp! murder! police!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 'E's a-goin' to drown me!"

trip

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

Twickenham

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

upset

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

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

voice

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading It seemed absurd to exhaust oneself for the sake of giving a pleasant trip to a lady who would persist in shouting for the police in a voice loud enough to be heard a mile away, especially as people on the Twickenham shore evinced signs of misconstruing the situation.

yelled

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

From this reading "Do!" she yelled.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "If you move from your seat, my dear madam, I'll upset the show."