Chapter 4 of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘Through such mud! But you don’t look like a man. Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths. And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler. The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
Chapter 4 of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. is here in full — 423 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading “Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.”
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading “And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.”
clothing in general
From this reading “And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.”
plural of “cloth” — artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading “Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.”
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading “And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.”
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading “The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’”
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading “‘Through such mud!”
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading “The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’”
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.
take a seat
In this reading “Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.”
In this reading “And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.”
rise to one's feet
In this reading “Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
clothing in general
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
plural of “cloth” — artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
a decorative bedspread (usually quilted)
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading ‘Through such mud!
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
express in words
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
be seated
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And haven’t you some dry clothes?’ she asked the butler.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading ‘Through such mud!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading ‘Through such mud!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Get up; sit down, anyway.… And you,’ she turned to the maid-servants, ‘run quick for cloths.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading The butler gesticulated as though to say, Is it likely for such a size?… ‘But we could get a coverlet,’ he replied, ‘or, there’s a new horse-rug.’
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But you don’t look like a man.
Chapter 4 of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev holds 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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.
Chapter 4 holds 423 sentences of A Lear of the Steppes, etc., unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 423 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 4 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 Lear of the Steppes, etc. by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3892 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #52642 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #52642, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 324 minutes of reading across 779 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Lear of the Steppes, etc. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of A Lear of the Steppes, etc. 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 Lear of the Steppes, etc., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
