Chapter 3 of Abbr. is here in full — 477 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Abbr. is here in full — 477 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Willy glanced at him speculatively. "I was disappointed about the music," he said. "Not one complete work." By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective. "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
Chapter 3 of Abbr. is here in full — 477 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/95 · 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.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading “"Not one complete work."”
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading “"I was disappointed about the music," he said.”
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading “Willy glanced at him speculatively.”
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading “"Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.”
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading “By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.”
-ing form of “maneuver” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading “By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.”
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading “"I was disappointed about the music," he said.”
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
From this reading “By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.”
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 “Willy glanced at him speculatively.”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Willy glanced at him speculatively.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading "Not one complete work."
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
past form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Willy glanced at him speculatively.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
inflected form of “grin” — to draw back the lips and reveal the teeth, in a smile, grimace, or snarl
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Willy glanced at him speculatively.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
and nothing more
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
-ing form of “maneuver” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not one complete work."
undistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Not one complete work."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
with speculation; in a speculative manner
From this reading Willy glanced at him speculatively.
express in words
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
in the direction of
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I was disappointed about the music," he said.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
at the time that
From this reading By this time, Walther had learned to know when Willy was maneuvering toward an objective.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Willy glanced at him speculatively.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Not one complete work."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Just tell me what you've got in mind," he grinned.
Chapter 3 of Abbr. by Frank Riley holds 477 sentences, grouped into 96 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 3 holds 477 sentences of Abbr., unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Abbr. by Frank Riley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 477 sentences, grouped into 96 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 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 96 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 Abbr. by Frank Riley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1410 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #59728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 117 minutes of reading across 282 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Abbr. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Abbr. 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 Abbr., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
