Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A corner in corn
A corner in corn

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A corner in corn is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A corner in corn
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.
It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.
Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.
Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.
The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A corner in corn

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of A corner in corn is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.
Line 2
It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.
/ɪt hæd bɪn ə deɪ ʌv sərˈpraɪz ɑːn ðə bɔːrd ʌv treɪd/
Line 3
Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.
/ˌɪnˈsted ʌv ðə praɪs ʌv kɔːrn ˈɡoʊɪŋ ɑːn ðə təˈbɑːɡən ɪt hæd kloʊzd ə ˈkʌpəl ʌv pɔɪnts tuː ðə ɡʊd wen ˈbɪznəs siːst fɔːr ðə deɪ/
Line 4
Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.
/ˈevribɑːdi wɑːz ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə nuː ˈfæktər ðæt hæd ˈentərd ðə faɪt/
Line 5
The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.
/ðə ˈnuːzpeɪpərz wɜːr fʊl ʌv sərˈmaɪzɪz ənd hɪnts ənd ˈruːmərz/

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.

corn noun US /kɔːrn/

tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

From this reading “Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.”

factor noun US /ˈfæktər/

anything that contributes causally to a result

From this reading “Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.”

hints noun US /hɪnts/

plural of “hint” — an indirect suggestion

From this reading “The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.”

newspapers noun US /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading “The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.”

rumors noun US /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading “The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.”

scheme noun US /skiːm/

an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading “THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.”

surmises noun US /sərˈmaɪzɪz/

plural of “surmise” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading “The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.”

toboggan noun US /təˈbɑːɡən/

a long narrow sled without runners; boards curve upward in front

From this reading “Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.”

All words in this reading · 44

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 It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

BoardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

closedadjectiveUS /kloʊzd/

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

cornnounUS /kɔːrn/

tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

couplenounUS /ˈkʌpəl/

a pair who associate with one another

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

DIDN'T

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

From this reading THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

EverybodypronounUS /ˈevribɑːdi/

every person

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

factornounUS /ˈfæktər/

anything that contributes causally to a result

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

hintsnounUS /hɪnts/

plural of “hint” — an indirect suggestion

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

InsteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

pointsnounUS /pɔɪnts/

plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

pricenounUS /praɪs/

the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

rumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

SCHEMEnounUS /skiːm/

an elaborate and systematic plan of action

From this reading THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.

surmisesnounUS /sərˈmaɪzɪz/

plural of “surmise” — a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

toboggannounUS /təˈbɑːɡən/

a long narrow sled without runners; boards curve upward in front

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

TradenounUS /treɪd/

the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services

From this reading It had been a day of surprise on the Board of Trade.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Everybody was talking about the new factor that had entered the fight.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The newspapers were full of surmises and hints and rumors.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Instead of the price of corn going on the toboggan it had closed a couple of points to the good when business ceased for the day.

WORKverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading THE SCHEME THAT DIDN’T WORK.

Chapter 14 of A corner in corn by Self-made man holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 14 of A corner in corn contain?

Chapter 14 holds 132 sentences of A corner in corn, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of A corner in corn by Self-made man exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 14 of A corner in corn?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 corner in corn

Common questions about reading A corner in corn by Self-made man on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A corner in corn?

Yes. All 1544 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A corner in corn is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A corner in corn take to read?

About 128 minutes of reading across 309 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A corner in corn section by section

How to work through A corner in corn section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of A corner in corn 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 corner in corn

Words and structures a reader meets early in A corner in corn, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rookery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A corner in corn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Building
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A corner in corn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A corner in corn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Returned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A corner in corn; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.