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A Book About Myself
A Book About Myself

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of A Book About Myself is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.
For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.
Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.
By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.
In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Book About Myself

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of A Book About Myself is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.
/ðʌs ðiːz deɪz sped ˈswɪftli ənd ekˈstætɪkli baɪ/
Line 2
For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.
/fɔːr wʌns ɪn maɪ laɪf aɪ siːmd tuː biː ˈtruːli ənd kənˈsɪstəntli ˈhæpi ənd ðæt ɪn ðɪs ˈveri ˈsɪti wer bʌt ə jɪr ɔːr tuː bɪˈfɔːr aɪ hæd ˈsʌfərd sʌtʃ kiːn dɪˈstres/
Line 3
Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.
Line 4
By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.
/baɪ naʊ aɪ hæd kʌm tuː fiːl æn ˌɪnˈtens ˈɪntrəst ɪn hɜːr æn ɪˈleɪʃən ˈoʊvər ðə mɪr θɔːt ʌv ˈbiːɪŋ wɪð hɜːr/
Line 5
In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

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

avenues noun US /ˈævənuːz/

plural of “avenue” — a line of approach

From this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

boulevards noun US /ˈbʊləvɑːrdz/

plural of “boulevard” — a wide street or thoroughfare

From this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

consistently adverb US /kənˈsɪstəntli/

in a systematic or consistent manner

From this reading “For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.”

ecstatic adjective US /ekˈstætɪk/

feeling great rapture or delight

From this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

ecstatically adverb US /ekˈstætɪkli/

in an ecstatic manner

From this reading “THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.”

elation noun US /ɪˈleɪʃən/

an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression

From this reading “By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.”

Michigan noun US /ˈmɪʃɪɡən/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading “Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.”

responding verb US /rɪˈspɑːndɪŋ/

-ing form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

lower class verb + noun

the social class lowest in the social hierarchy

In this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

intense interest adjective + noun

In this reading “By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.”

vast regions adjective + noun counted as “vast region”

In this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

sped swiftly verb + particle counted as “speed swiftly”

In this reading “THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.”

In addition preposition + noun

In this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

Toward the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “toward … middle”

In this reading “Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.”

new buildings adjective + noun counted as “new building”

In this reading “In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.”

All words in this reading · 105

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

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 For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

additionnounUS /əˈdɪʃən/

a component that is added to something to improve it

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

avenuesnounUS /ˈævənuːz/

plural of “avenue” — a line of approach

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

boulevardsnounUS /ˈbʊləvɑːrdz/

plural of “boulevard” — a wide street or thoroughfare

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

colornounUS /ˈkʌlər/

a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

consistentlyadverbUS /kənˈsɪstəntli/

in a systematic or consistent manner

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

contrastnounUS /ˈkɑːntræst/

the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

ecstaticadjectiveUS /ekˈstætɪk/

feeling great rapture or delight

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

ecstaticallyadverbUS /ekˈstætɪkli/

in an ecstatic manner

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

elationnounUS /ɪˈleɪʃən/

an exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism; an absence of depression

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

FairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

far-flungadjective

distributed over a considerable extent

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

fashionnounUS /ˈfæʃən/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

Ginity

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

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/

possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

manifestedverbUS /ˈmænəfestəd/

past form of “manifest” — provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

MichigannounUS /ˈmɪʃɪɡən/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

qualitynounUS /ˈkwɑːləti/

an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

rawadjectiveUS /rɑː/

(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

regionsnounUS /ˈriːdʒənz/

plural of “region” — the extended spatial location of something

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

respondingverbUS /rɪˈspɑːndɪŋ/

-ing form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

secondnounUS /ˈsekənd/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

soundingadjectiveUS /ˈsaʊndɪŋ/

appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

spedverbUS /sped/

inflected form of “speed” — move hurridly

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

sufferedverbUS /ˈsʌfərd/

past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/

in a swift manner

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

THUSadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading THUS these days sped swiftly and ecstatically by.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

TowardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

toweringadjectiveUS /ˈtaʊərɪŋ/

of imposing height; especially standing out above others

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

vividlyadverbUS /ˈvɪvədli/

in a vivid manner

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Toward the middle of the second week Miss Ginity left for Michigan, and then I had Miss W—— all to myself.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

winelike

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

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading By now I had come to feel an intense interest in her, an elation over the mere thought of being with her.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading For once in my life I seemed to be truly and consistently happy, and that in this very city where but a year or two before I had suffered such keen distress.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading In addition to this joy my mind and body seemed to be responding in some ecstatic fashion to Chicago and the Fair as a whole, the romance and color of it all, the winelike quality of the air, the raw, fresh, young force of the city, so vividly manifested in its sounding streets, its towering new buildings, its far-flung lines of avenues and boulevards, and, by way of contrast, its vast regions of middle and lower class poor.

Chapter 22 of A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser holds 223 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 22 of A Book About Myself contain?

Chapter 22 holds 223 sentences of A Book About Myself, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 223 sentences, grouped into 45 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 22 of A Book About Myself?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Book About Myself

Common questions about reading A Book About Myself by Theodore Dreiser on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Book About Myself?

Yes. All 8541 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #62995 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Book About Myself is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #62995, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Book About Myself take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Book About Myself section by section

How to work through A Book About Myself section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of A Book About Myself to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Book About Myself

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Book About Myself, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
During
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Formulating
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Book About Myself; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.