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What Necessity Knows
What Necessity Knows

Chapter IV

Cover illustration for What Necessity Knows
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.
The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.
The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.
He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.
The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.
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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 Necessity Knows

Chapter IV

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.
Line 2
The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.
Line 3
The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.
Line 4
He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.
Line 5
The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

Learner Dictionary

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

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.”

Dead noun US /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Fair noun US /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.”

Here noun US /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.”

Journey noun US /ˈjourney/

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

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.”

Might modal verb US /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

None pronoun US /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading “The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Start noun US /start/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Thin adjective US /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading “The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.”

Went noun US /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

autumn

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

avoid

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

Bates

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

beach

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

big

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

bits

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

black

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

boat

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

bright

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

calm

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

came

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

coating

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

dawn

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

day

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

deadnounUS /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

down

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

drawn

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

early

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

edge

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

fairnounUS /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

fears

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

flat-bottomed

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

fulfilled

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

glistened

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

green

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

herenounUS /here/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

ice

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

journeynounUS /ˈjourney/

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

knew

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

ladder

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

light

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

long-handled

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

lying

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

man

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

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

moss

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

new

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

nonepronounUS /nʌn/

not one, and not any

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

oars

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

out

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

poles

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

quietly

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

Saul

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

shore

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

startnounUS /start/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

stones

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

storms

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

taking

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

there

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

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

thinadjectiveUS /θɪn/

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading The stones of the beach looked black: here and there were bits of bright green moss upon them: both stones and moss had a coating of thin ice that glistened in the morning light.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

up

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The dead man might start upon his journey, and Bates knew that the start must be an early one.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

water's

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

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.

wentnounUS /went/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading At dawn Bates came down the ladder again, and went out quietly.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The new day was fair, and calm; none of his fears were fulfilled.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He and Saul, taking long-handled oars and poles, went down to the water's edge, where a big, flat-bottomed boat was lying drawn up on the shore to avoid the autumn storms.