Chapter 3 of A. V. Laider is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of A. V. Laider is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Laider closed his eyes. He passed his hand slowly through the air. "I had a racking headache. And when I said so, I was told not to talk. I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
Chapter 3 of A. V. Laider is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.”
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading “Laider closed his eyes.”
something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading “"I had a racking headache.”
plural of “nurse” — one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
From this reading “I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.”
causing great physical or mental suffering
From this reading “"I had a racking headache.”
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading “He passed his hand slowly through the air.”
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading “And when I said so, I was told not to talk.”
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading “I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.”
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 "I had a racking headache.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Laider closed his eyes.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Laider closed his eyes.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "I had a racking headache.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness
From this reading "I had a racking headache.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Laider closed his eyes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I had a racking headache.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laider closed his eyes.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
plural of “nurse” — one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
causing great physical or mental suffering
From this reading "I had a racking headache.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He passed his hand slowly through the air.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I was in bed, and the nurses were always telling me not to talk.
at the time that
From this reading And when I said so, I was told not to talk.
Chapter 3 of A. V. Laider by Max, Sir Beerbohm holds 225 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 3 holds 225 sentences of A. V. Laider, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of A. V. Laider by Max, Sir Beerbohm exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 225 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 3 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. V. Laider by Max, Sir Beerbohm on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 650 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #761 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #761, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 54 minutes of reading across 130 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A. V. Laider section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of A. V. Laider 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. V. Laider, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
