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A Thorny Path — Volume 04
A Thorny Path — Volume 04

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Thorny Path — Volume 04
Context Illustration Reading 1/56 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Dido was right.
Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.
Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"
"Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.
"You roused her from a nap.
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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 Thorny Path — Volume 04

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Dido was right.
/ˈdaɪdoʊ wɑːz raɪt/
Line 2
Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.
/ˈherənz ˈeldəst sʌn hæd rɪˈtɜːrnd frʌm hɪz ˈerənd/
Line 3
Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"
Line 4
"Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.
/jes jes rɪˈplaɪd ˈdaɪdoʊ ˈleɪɪŋ hɜːr ˈfɪŋɡər tuː hɜːr lɪps/
Line 5
"You roused her from a nap.
/juː raʊzd hɜːr frʌm ə næp/

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.

cups noun US /kʌps/

plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading “Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"”

Dido noun US /ˈdaɪdoʊ/

(Roman mythology) a princess of Tyre who was the founder and queen of Carthage; Virgil tells of her suicide when she was abandoned by Aeneas

From this reading “Dido was right.”

drunken adjective US /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading “Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"”

greet verb US /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading “Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"”

Heron's noun US /ˈherənz/

possessive form of “heron” — Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

From this reading “Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.”

insulted verb US /ˌɪnˈsʌltɪd/

past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely

From this reading “Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"”

Melissa noun US /məˈlɪsə/

a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae

From this reading “Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"”

nap noun US /næp/

a period of time spent sleeping

From this reading “"You roused her from a nap.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

cupsnounUS /kʌps/

plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

DidonounUS /ˈdaɪdoʊ/

(Roman mythology) a princess of Tyre who was the founder and queen of Carthage; Virgil tells of her suicide when she was abandoned by Aeneas

From this reading Dido was right.

disappointedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/

disappointingly unsuccessful

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

drunkenadjectiveUS /ˈdrʌŋkən/

given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

eldestadjectiveUS /ˈeldəst/

first in order of birth

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

errandnounUS /ˈerənd/

a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading "Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

greetverbUS /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/

(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

Heron'snounUS /ˈherənz/

possessive form of “heron” — Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

hoarseadjectiveUS /hɔːrs/

deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

indignationnounUS /ˌɪndɪɡˈneɪʃən/

a feeling of righteous anger

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

insultedverbUS /ˌɪnˈsʌltɪd/

past form of “insult” — treat, mention, or speak to rudely

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

layingnounUS /ˈleɪɪŋ/

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading "Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

lipsnounUS /lɪps/

plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking

From this reading "Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

MelissanounUS /məˈlɪsə/

a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

napnounUS /næp/

a period of time spent sleeping

From this reading "You roused her from a nap.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading "Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

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

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Dido was right.

rousedverbUS /raʊzd/

past form of “rouse” — become active

From this reading "You roused her from a nap.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading Heron's eldest son had returned from his errand.

staggeredverbUS /ˈstæɡərd/

past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

taughtverbUS /tɔːt/

inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

TiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

tonesnounUS /toʊnz/

plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Dido was right.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Tired, disappointed, and with fierce indignation in his eyes, he staggered in like a drunken man who has been insulted in his cups; and, without greeting her--as his mother had taught her children to greet even their slaves--he merely asked in hoarse tones, "Is Melissa come in?"

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, yes," replied Dido, laying her finger to her lips.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You roused her from a nap.

Chapter 4 of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 by Georg Ebers holds 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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 Thorny Path — Volume 04 contain?

Chapter 4 holds 281 sentences of A Thorny Path — Volume 04, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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 Thorny Path — Volume 04?

Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 57 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 Thorny Path — Volume 04

Common questions about reading A Thorny Path — Volume 04 by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Thorny Path — Volume 04?

Yes. All 786 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5533 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5533, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Thorny Path — Volume 04 take to read?

About 65 minutes of reading across 158 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Thorny Path — Volume 04 section by section

How to work through A Thorny Path — Volume 04 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of A Thorny Path — Volume 04 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 Thorny Path — Volume 04

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Thorny Path — Volume 04, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Melissa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 04; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Probably
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 04; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Found
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 04; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Herself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 04; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.