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A Life Sentence: A Novel
A Life Sentence: A Novel

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel is here in full — 346 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Life Sentence: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A sudden hush fell upon the group.
Each looked at the others aghast.
The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.
But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.
"He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.
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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 Life Sentence: A Novel

Chapter XXXVIII · Chapter 38

Chapter 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel is here in full — 346 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A sudden hush fell upon the group.
/ə ˈsʌdən hʌʃ fel əˈpɑːn ðə ɡruːp/
Line 2
Each looked at the others aghast.
Line 3
The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.
Line 4
But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.
/bʌt æt liːst θriː ˈpɜːrsənz nuː ɔːr səˈspektɪd ðæt hiː spoʊk ˈoʊnli ðə truːθ/
Line 5
"He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

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.

aghast adjective US /əˈɡæst/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading “Each looked at the others aghast.”

angrily adverb US /ˈæŋɡrəli/

with anger

From this reading “"He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.”

delirious adjective US /dɪˈlɪriəs/

experiencing delirium

From this reading “"He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.”

fever noun US /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading “The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.”

group noun US /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading “A sudden hush fell upon the group.”

hush verb US /hʌʃ/

become quiet or still; fall silent

From this reading “A sudden hush fell upon the group.”

raving noun US /ˈreɪvɪŋ/

declaiming wildly

From this reading “The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.”

suspected adjective US /səˈspektɪd/

believed likely

From this reading “But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.”

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.

fell upon verb + particle

In this reading “A sudden hush fell upon the group.”

general opinion adjective + noun

In this reading “The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.”

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Each looked at the others aghast.”

least three adjective + noun

In this reading “But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.”

three persons noun + noun counted as “three person”

In this reading “But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.”

All words in this reading · 40

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 A sudden hush fell upon the group.

aghastadjectiveUS /əˈɡæst/

struck with fear, dread, or consternation

From this reading Each looked at the others aghast.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

angrilyadverbUS /ˈæŋɡrəli/

with anger

From this reading "He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Each looked at the others aghast.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

deliriousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪriəs/

experiencing delirium

From this reading "He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each looked at the others aghast.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

fevernounUS /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

groupnounUS /ɡruːp/

any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

He's

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

From this reading "He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

hushverbUS /hʌʃ/

become quiet or still; fall silent

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

Lepel's

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading Each looked at the others aghast.

madadjectiveUS /mæd/

roused to anger

From this reading "He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

opinionnounUS /əˈpɪnjən/

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

others

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

From this reading Each looked at the others aghast.

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

ravingnounUS /ˈreɪvɪŋ/

declaiming wildly

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "He's mad--delirious!" said the General angrily.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

suspectedadjectiveUS /səˈspektɪd/

believed likely

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading But at least three persons knew or suspected that he spoke only the truth.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A sudden hush fell upon the group.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The general opinion was that Mr. Lepel's fever had returned upon him and that he was raving.

Chapter 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant holds 346 sentences, grouped into 70 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 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel contain?

Chapter 38 holds 346 sentences of A Life Sentence: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 346 sentences, grouped into 70 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 38 of A Life Sentence: A Novel?

Work through the 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 70 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 Life Sentence: A Novel

Common questions about reading A Life Sentence: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Life Sentence: A Novel?

Yes. All 9268 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31984 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Life Sentence: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31984, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Life Sentence: A Novel take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1854 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Life Sentence: A Novel section by section

How to work through A Life Sentence: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of A Life Sentence: A Novel 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 Life Sentence: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Life Sentence: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Prisoner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life Sentence: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Guilty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life Sentence: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Curious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life Sentence: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Life Sentence: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.