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A Tangled Tale
A Tangled Tale

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of A Tangled Tale is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/91 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.
He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."
I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."
The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.
In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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A Tangled Tale

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of A Tangled Tale is here in full — 456 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/91 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.
Line 2
He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."
Line 3
I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."
Line 4
The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.
Line 5
In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

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.

accidental adjective US /ˌæksəˈdentəl/

happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

From this reading “The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.”

data noun US /ˈdeɪtə/

a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn

differ verb US /ˈdɪfər/

be different

From this reading “The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.”

economical adjective US /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪkəl/

using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

From this reading “I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."”

sections noun US /ˈsekʃənz/

plural of “section” — a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading “In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.”

shetland noun US /ˈʃetlənd/

an archipelago of about 100 islands in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland

From this reading “Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.”

solutions noun US /səˈluːʃənz/

plural of “solution” — a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading “The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.”

subscriptions noun US /səbˈskrɪpʃənz/

plural of “subscription” — a payment for consecutive issues of a newspaper or magazine for a given period of time

From this reading “I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."”

All words in this reading · 77

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.

26

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

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

2nd

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

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

3rd

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

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

accidentaladjectiveUS /ˌæksəˈdentəl/

happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

amountnounUS /əˈmaʊnt/

a quantity of money

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

answersnounUS /ˈænsərz/

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

assureverbUS /əˈʃʊr/

make certain of

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

authorsnounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

Clara's

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

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

clubsnounUS /klʌbz/

plural of “club” — a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

datanounUS /ˈdeɪtə/

a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

differverbUS /ˈdɪfər/

be different

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

economicaladjectiveUS /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪkəl/

using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

entrance-fees

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

friendlyadjectiveUS /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

honoursnoun

a university degree with honors

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

justicenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

Knot-Untiers

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

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

luncheonnounUS /ˈlʌntʃən/

a midday meal

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

midstnounUS /mɪdst/

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

pitilesslyadverb

without pity; in a merciless manner

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

remarksnounUS /rɪˈmɑːrks/

plural of “remark” — a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

sectionsnounUS /ˈsekʃənz/

plural of “section” — a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

SHETLANDnounUS /ˈʃetlənd/

an archipelago of about 100 islands in the North Atlantic off the north coast of Scotland

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

SNARK

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

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

solutionsnounUS /səˈluːʃənz/

plural of “solution” — a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

subscriptionsnounUS /səbˈskrɪpʃənz/

plural of “subscription” — a payment for consecutive issues of a newspaper or magazine for a given period of time

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

thanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading In order to do them full justice I have arranged the 2nd class in sections, according to the number of steps.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The authors of the 26 "accidental" solutions differ only in the number of steps they have taken between the _data_ and the answers.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

unknownadjectiveUS /ənˈnoʊn/

not known

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

viz

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

From this reading He has only answered half the question, viz. the amount of Clara's luncheon: the two little old ladies he pitilessly leaves in the midst of their "difficulty."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading Of those who win honours, THE SHETLAND SNARK must have the 3rd class all to himself.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I beg to assure him (with thanks for his friendly remarks) that entrance-fees and subscriptions are things unknown in that most economical of clubs, "The Knot-Untiers."

Chapter 4 of A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll holds 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 4 of A Tangled Tale contain?

Chapter 4 holds 456 sentences of A Tangled Tale, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 456 sentences, grouped into 92 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 4 of A Tangled Tale?

Work through the 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 92 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Tangled Tale

Common questions about reading A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Tangled Tale?

Yes. All 1790 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29042 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Tangled Tale is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29042, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Tangled Tale take to read?

About 149 minutes of reading across 358 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Tangled Tale section by section

How to work through A Tangled Tale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of A Tangled Tale 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 Tangled Tale

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Tangled Tale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Version
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Tangled Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Square
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Tangled Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Symbol
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Tangled Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Indicated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Tangled Tale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.