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Active Service
Active Service

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of Active Service is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Active Service
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.
Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.
Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.
It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.
Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.
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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.

Active Service

Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

Chapter 27 of Active Service is here in full — 251 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.
Line 2
Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.
Line 3
Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.
Line 4
It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.
Line 5
Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

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.

Blood noun US /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading “It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.”

All words in this reading · 75

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.

a

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

affect

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

all

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

and

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

arrived

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

arriving

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

as

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

at

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

attitude

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

before

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

both

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

boy

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

boys

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

but-they

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

class

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

cold

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

Coleman

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

Coleman's

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

come

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

conception

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

could

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

disdain

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

door

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

ever

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

Every

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

express

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

former

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

had

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

have

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

he

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

Hewould

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

him

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

his

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

imagined

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

in

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

it

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

know

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

line

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

looked

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

mental

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

moment

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

need

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

not

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

of

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

old

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

one

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

only

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

paused

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

Previously

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

probably

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

professor

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

rooms

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

satire

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

say

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

From this reading Hewould not say it; Coleman probably would not say it; but-they would both know it.

seemed

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

simple

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

so

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

student

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

superiority

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

supplicant

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

that

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

the

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

this

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

to

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

From this reading Every line of it seemed to express cold superiority and disdain.

ultimately

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

until

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

was

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

Washurst

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

WHEN

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

From this reading WHEN the professor arrived before Coleman's door, he paused a moment and looked at it.

whipped

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

whom

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

with

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

without

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

From this reading It was only the door of a former student, one of his old boys, whom, as the need arrived, he had whipped with his satire in the class rooms at Washurst until the mental blood had come, and all without a conception of his ultimately arriving before the door of this boy in the attitude of a supplicant.

would

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

From this reading Previously, he could not have imagined that a simple door would ever so affect him.

Chapter 27 of Active Service by Stephen Crane holds 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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.

What does chapter 27 of Active Service contain?

Chapter 27 holds 251 sentences of Active Service, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of Active Service by Stephen Crane exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 251 sentences, grouped into 51 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 27 of Active Service?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Active Service

Common questions about reading Active Service by Stephen Crane on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Active Service?

Yes. All 5592 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2364 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Active Service is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2364, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Active Service take to read?

About 466 minutes of reading across 1119 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Active Service section by section

How to work through Active Service section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Active Service 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 Active Service

Words and structures a reader meets early in Active Service, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Marjory
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Active Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Walked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Active Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pensively
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Active Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Along
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Active Service; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.