Chapter 4 of Active Service is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Active Service is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MARJORY paused again at her father's door. After hesitating in the original way she entered the library. Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books. " Well," he cried. Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
Chapter 4 of Active Service is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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 line of units following one after another
From this reading “Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.”
serving as a visible symbol for something abstract
From this reading “Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.”
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “MARJORY paused again at her father's door.”
lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
From this reading “After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.”
a room where books are kept
From this reading “After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.”
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading “After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.”
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “MARJORY paused again at her father's door.”
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading “Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.”
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 Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
later than; following
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
anew
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
a line of units following one after another
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading " Well," he cried.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
serving as a visible symbol for something abstract
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading " Well," he cried.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
lacking decisiveness of character; unable to act or decide quickly or firmly
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
a room where books are kept
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading MARJORY paused again at her father's door.
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Her father almost represented an emblematic figure, seated upon a column of books.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then, seeing it was Marjory, he changed his tone.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading After hesitating in the original way she entered the library.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading " Well," he cried.
Chapter 4 of Active Service by Stephen Crane holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 4 holds 215 sentences of Active Service, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Active Service by Stephen Crane exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 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.
Common questions about reading Active Service by Stephen Crane on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5592 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2364 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2364, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 466 minutes of reading across 1119 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Active Service section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Active Service 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 Active Service, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
