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An I.D.B. in South Africa
An I.D.B. in South Africa

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for An I.D.B. in South Africa
Context Illustration Reading 1/88 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.
"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.
"Where is he?"
"In kitchen."
A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.
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Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

An I.D.B. in South Africa

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.
/æn əˈbrʌpt əˈweɪkənɪŋ/
Line 2
"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.
Line 3
"Where is he?"
/wer ɪz hiː/
Line 4
"In kitchen."
/ɪn ˈkɪtʃən/
Line 5
A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

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.

abrupt adjective US /əˈbrʌpt/

marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions

From this reading “AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.”

awakening noun US /əˈweɪkənɪŋ/

the act of waking

From this reading “AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.”

cloud verb US /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

darkened adjective US /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

hesitation noun US /ˌhezəˈteɪʃən/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

kitchen noun US /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading “"In kitchen."”

moment's noun US /ˈmoʊmənts/

possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

servant noun US /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading “"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

moment's hesitation noun + noun counted as “moment hesitation”

In this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

entered the room verb + article + noun counted as “enter … room”

In this reading “"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.”

third day noun + noun

In this reading “"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.”

after a moment's preposition + article + noun counted as “after … moment”

In this reading “A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.”

on the third preposition + article + noun counted as “on … third”

In this reading “"Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.”

All words in this reading · 39

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

ABRUPTadjectiveUS /əˈbrʌpt/

marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions

From this reading AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

AWAKENINGnounUS /əˈweɪkənɪŋ/

the act of waking

From this reading AN ABRUPT AWAKENING.

Ba-a-as

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

Coolienoun

(ethnic slur) an offensive name for an unskilled Asian laborer

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

darkenedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkənd/

(of fabrics and paper) grown dark in color over time

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

Fingo

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

hesitationnounUS /ˌhezəˈteɪʃən/

indecision in speech or action

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "In kitchen."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Where is he?"

kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading "In kitchen."

Laure

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

Laure's

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

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

moment'snounUS /ˈmoʊmənts/

possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

thirdnounUS /θɜːrd/

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading A cloud darkened Laure's face; after a moment's hesitation he told the Coolie to send the boy to him.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading "Fingo boy here, Ba-a-as," said a Coolie servant, as he entered the room where Laure was sitting, on the third day after the visit to the mine.

Chapter 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa by Louise Vescelius Sheldon holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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.

What does chapter 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa contain?

Chapter 3 holds 440 sentences of An I.D.B. in South Africa, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa by Louise Vescelius Sheldon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 3 of An I.D.B. in South Africa?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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 3 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading An I.D.B. in South Africa

Common questions about reading An I.D.B. in South Africa by Louise Vescelius Sheldon on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of An I.D.B. in South Africa?

Yes. All 1734 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37265 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of An I.D.B. in South Africa is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37265, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does An I.D.B. in South Africa take to read?

About 144 minutes of reading across 347 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read An I.D.B. in South Africa section by section

How to work through An I.D.B. in South Africa section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 An I.D.B. in South Africa

Words and structures a reader meets early in An I.D.B. in South Africa, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

South
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An I.D.B. in South Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Africa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An I.D.B. in South Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Louise
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An I.D.B. in South Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vescelius-sheldon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An I.D.B. in South Africa; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.