Chapter 28 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter 28 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
OLD NANCY'S HUT. Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers. Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate. Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
Chapter 28 of Adrift in the City is here in full — 119 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)
From this reading “Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.”
a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
From this reading “Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.”
afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement
From this reading “Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.”
plural of “keeper” — someone in charge of other people
From this reading “Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.”
possessive form of “nancy” — a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading “OLD NANCY'S HUT.”
without strain or anxiety
From this reading “Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.”
something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)
From this reading “Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.”
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading “Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.”
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.
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 Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
beautiful and charismatic queen of Egypt; mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony; killed herself to avoid capture by Octavian (69-30 BC)
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
temporary military shelter
From this reading OLD NANCY'S HUT.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
plural of “keeper” — someone in charge of other people
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
possessive form of “nancy” — a city in northeastern France in Lorraine
From this reading OLD NANCY'S HUT.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading OLD NANCY'S HUT.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
without strain or anxiety
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading Mrs. Kenyon's depression and apparent submission to her fate had relaxed the vigilance of her keepers.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Late one evening Cleopatra, with a cunning expression, showed her a key.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Still, it is doubtful if she would have escaped but for the help of her insane room-mate.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you know what this is?" she asked.
Chapter 28 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 28 holds 119 sentences of Adrift in the City, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 28 of Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 119 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 28 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 Adrift in the City by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4712 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56973 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56973, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 392 minutes of reading across 943 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Adrift in the City section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Adrift in the City 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 Adrift in the City, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
