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Adventure
Adventure

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Adventure is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Adventure
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.
There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.
Nor was there any awkwardness between them.
They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.
He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Adventure

Chapter XXI · Chapter 21

Chapter 21 of Adventure is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.
Line 2
There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.
/ðer wɑːz ˈnʌθɪŋ ʌv ðə ˈpaɪnɪŋ ˈlʌvər nɔːr ʌv ðə ˈlʌvər æt ɔːl ɪn hɪz dɪˈmiːnər/
Line 3
Nor was there any awkwardness between them.
/nɔːr wɑːz ðer ˈeni ˈɔːkwərdnəs bɪˈtwiːn ðem/
Line 4
They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.
/ðeɪ wɜːr æz fræŋk ənd ˈfrendli ɪn ðer riˈleɪʃənz æz ˈevər/
Line 5
He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of 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.

aroused adjective US /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading “He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.”

awkwardness noun US /ˈɔːkwərdnəs/

unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training

From this reading “Nor was there any awkwardness between them.”

belligerent adjective US /bəˈlɪdʒərənt/

characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight

From this reading “He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.”

declaration noun US /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃən/

a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading “He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.”

demeanour noun US /dɪˈmiːnər/

(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

From this reading “There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.”

pining noun US /ˈpaɪnɪŋ/

a feeling of deep longing

From this reading “There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.”

relations noun US /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading “They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.”

self-consciousness noun US /ˌselfˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

embarrassment deriving from the feeling that others are critically aware of you

From this reading “He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.”

All words in this reading · 58

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Nor was there any awkwardness between them.

arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/

aroused to action

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

awkwardnessnounUS /ˈɔːkwərdnəs/

unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training

From this reading Nor was there any awkwardness between them.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

belligerentadjectiveUS /bəˈlɪdʒərənt/

characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Nor was there any awkwardness between them.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

conductverbUS /ˈkɑːndəkt/

direct the course of; manage or control

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

declarationnounUS /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃən/

a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

demeanournounUS /dɪˈmiːnər/

(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

frankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

friendlyadjectiveUS /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

Joan

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

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

lovernounUS /ˈlʌvər/

a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

mentionverbUS /ˈmenʃən/

make reference to

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

piningnounUS /ˈpaɪnɪŋ/

a feeling of deep longing

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

self-consciousnessnounUS /ˌselfˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

embarrassment deriving from the feeling that others are critically aware of you

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

Sheldon

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

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Nor was there any awkwardness between them.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

vainadjectiveUS /veɪn/

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There was nothing of the pining lover, nor of the lover at all, in his demeanour.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They were as frank and friendly in their relations as ever.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Sheldon did not mention the subject again, nor did his conduct change from what it had always been.

womanlyadjective

befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading He had wondered if his belligerent love declaration might have aroused some womanly self-consciousness in Joan, but he looked in vain for any sign of it.

Chapter 21 of Adventure by Jack London holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 21 of Adventure contain?

Chapter 21 holds 112 sentences of Adventure, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Adventure by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 21 of Adventure?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Adventure

Common questions about reading Adventure by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Adventure?

Yes. All 5033 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1163 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Adventure is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1163, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Adventure take to read?

About 419 minutes of reading across 1007 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Adventure section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 28 chapters of Adventure 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 Adventure

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

White
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pick-a-back
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Woolly-headed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Black-skinned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Adventure; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.