Chapter 9 of A long way from home is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of A long way from home is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What do you mean, Comrade?" Venko asked in amazement. "Did I ever spy on you? Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?" Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
Chapter 9 of A long way from home is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading “Venko asked in amazement.”
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading “"What do you mean, Comrade?"”
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading “Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"”
every person
From this reading “Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.”
a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading “Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.”
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading “Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.”
catch sight of
From this reading “"Did I ever spy on you?”
keeping a secret or furtive watch
From this reading “Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"”
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.
In this reading “Venko asked in amazement.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading Venko asked in amazement.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Venko asked in amazement.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading "What do you mean, Comrade?"
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Did I ever spy on you?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "What do you mean, Comrade?"
at any time
From this reading "Did I ever spy on you?
every person
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Did I ever spy on you?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Venko asked in amazement.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "What do you mean, Comrade?"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Did I ever spy on you?
a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
express in words
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Venko said something in Russian and everybody looked serious.
catch sight of
From this reading "Did I ever spy on you?
keeping a secret or furtive watch
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Venko asked in amazement.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Do you want to say that I am here spying on my comrades?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What do you mean, Comrade?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What do you mean, Comrade?"
Chapter 9 of A long way from home by Claude McKay holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 holds 408 sentences of A long way from home, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of A long way from home by Claude McKay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 9 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 long way from home by Claude McKay on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5632 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71744 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #71744, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 469 minutes of reading across 1127 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A long way from home section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of A long way from home 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 long way from home, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
