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A Far Country — Volume 1
A Far Country — Volume 1

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1 is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Far Country — Volume 1
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.
I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.
When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.
"Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.
"What's the matter?"
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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.

A Far Country — Volume 1

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1 is here in full — 397 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.
/wʌn ˈmɔːrnɪŋ tɑːm wɑːz ˈleɪtər ðæn ˈjuːʒəwəl ɪn ˈɡetɪŋ hoʊm/
Line 2
I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.
/aɪ wɑːz ˈraɪtɪŋ ə ˈletər wen hiː keɪm ɪn ənd dɪd nɑːt ˈnoʊtəs hɪm jet aɪ wɑːz ˈveɪɡli əˈwer ʌv hɪz ˈstændɪŋ ˈoʊvər miː/
Line 3
When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.
/wen æt læst aɪ lʊkt ʌp aɪ ˈɡæðərd frʌm hɪz ɪkˈspreʃən ðæt ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈsɪriəs hæd ˈhæpənd soʊ ˈmɔːrnfəl wɑːz hɪz feɪs ənd jet soʊ ˈʌtərli ˈluːdəkrəs/
Line 4
"Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.
Line 5
"What's the matter?"

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.

announced adjective US /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading “"Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.”

deuce noun US /duːs/

a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game

From this reading “"Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.”

gathered adjective US /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading “When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.”

ludicrous adjective US /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading “When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.”

mess noun US /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

From this reading “"Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.”

mournful adjective US /ˈmɔːrnfəl/

expressing sorrow

From this reading “When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.”

utterly adverb US /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading “When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.”

vaguely adverb US /ˈveɪɡli/

in a vague way

From this reading “I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

awareadjectiveUS /əˈwer/

(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

deucenounUS /duːs/

a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

Hugh

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

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

I'm

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

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

ludicrousadjectiveUS /ˈluːdəkrəs/

broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "What's the matter?"

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

messnounUS /mes/

a state of confusion and disorderliness

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

mournfuladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrnfəl/

expressing sorrow

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

noticenounUS /ˈnoʊtəs/

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

SayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Say, Hugh, I'm in the deuce of a mess," he announced.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

utterlyadverbUS /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading When at last I looked up I gathered from his expression that something serious had happened, so mournful was his face, and yet so utterly ludicrous.

vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/

in a vague way

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One morning Tom was later than usual in getting home.

What's

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

From this reading "What's the matter?"

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading I was writing a letter when he came in, and did not notice him, yet I was vaguely aware of his standing over me.

Chapter 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1 by Winston Churchill holds 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1 contain?

Chapter 5 holds 397 sentences of A Far Country — Volume 1, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1 by Winston Churchill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 397 sentences, grouped into 80 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 5 of A Far Country — Volume 1?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Far Country — Volume 1

Common questions about reading A Far Country — Volume 1 by Winston Churchill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Far Country — Volume 1?

Yes. All 2817 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3736 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Far Country — Volume 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3736, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Far Country — Volume 1 take to read?

About 234 minutes of reading across 564 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Far Country — Volume 1 section by section

How to work through A Far Country — Volume 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of A Far Country — Volume 1 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 Far Country — Volume 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Far Country — Volume 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Paret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Far Country — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corporation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Far Country — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lawyer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Far Country — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Means
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Far Country — Volume 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.