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What Can She Do?
What Can She Do?

Chapter XXII

Cover illustration for What Can She Do?
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.
There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.
She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.
Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.
He "never did such things," he said.
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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.

What Can She Do?

Chapter XXII

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.
Line 2
There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.
Line 3
She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.
Line 4
Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.
Line 5
He "never did such things," he said.

Learner Dictionary

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

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.”

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.”

Little noun US /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He "never did such things," he said.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.”

STEP noun US /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading “There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.”

Toward preposition US /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading “She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

any

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

From this reading Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

coldness

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

curiosity

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

curious

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

DANGEROUS

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

declined

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

From this reading Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.

deed

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He "never did such things," he said.

Edith

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

Edith's

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

face

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

gather

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

greatly

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

happened

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

Hard

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

increased

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

lend

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

From this reading Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.

littlenounUS /little/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

looks

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

manner

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

meeting

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

money

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

From this reading Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.

Mr

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He "never did such things," he said.

painful

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

people

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

promptly

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

From this reading Mr. Hard promptly declined to lend any money.

said

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

From this reading He "never did such things," he said.

saw

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

shrinking

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

significant

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

soon

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

STEPnounUS /step/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading He "never did such things," he said.

surmised

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

There

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

thick

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

things

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

From this reading He "never did such things," he said.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

turned

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

veil

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A DANGEROUS STEP Edith took her deed, and went first to Mr. Hard.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading There were both coldness and curiosity in his manner, but he could gather little from Edith's face through her thick veil.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading She had a painful shrinking from meeting people again after what had happened, and this was greatly increased by the curious and significant looks she saw turned toward her as soon as it was surmised who she was.