Chapter 14 of A First Family of Tasajara is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of A First Family of Tasajara is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?” “Call Grant off the scent. He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.” Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless. And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
Chapter 14 of A First Family of Tasajara is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
exasperate or irritate
From this reading “He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.””
cause fear in
From this reading “He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.””
Assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering. (Hách dịch, độc đoán, kiêu kỳ.)
From this reading “Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.”
lacking zest or vivacity
From this reading “Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.”
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading “Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?””
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading “Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.”
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading ““Call Grant off the scent.”
use slang or vulgar language
From this reading “And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading “Call Grant off the scent.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
at any time
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
exasperate or irritate
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
cause fear in
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
let have
From this reading “Call Grant off the scent.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
Assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering. (Hách dịch, độc đoán, kiêu kỳ.)
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
lacking zest or vivacity
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Call Grant off the scent.
and nothing more
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
with speed
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
A distinctive smell or aroma.
From this reading “Call Grant off the scent.
use slang or vulgar language
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Call Grant off the scent.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
the act of using
From this reading And it was the first time he had ever known her to use slang.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her voice was as imperious as it had been previously listless.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her voice had changed so oddly that he said quickly: “What's that?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading He'll only frighten or exasperate your game, and that's what you don't want.”
Chapter 14 of A First Family of Tasajara by Bret Harte holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.
Chapter 14 holds 171 sentences of A First Family of Tasajara, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of A First Family of Tasajara by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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.
Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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.
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.
Common questions about reading A First Family of Tasajara by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2851 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2723 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2723, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 237 minutes of reading across 571 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A First Family of Tasajara section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of A First Family of Tasajara to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A First Family of Tasajara, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
