Chapter 4 of April Hopes is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of April Hopes is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book. “Oh yes,” said Miss Cotton. “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?” “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley. “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
Chapter 4 of April Hopes is here in full — 399 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading “Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading ““Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.”
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading ““Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.”
held up in the air
From this reading “Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.”
expecting the worst possible outcome
From this reading ““But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?””
used as intensifiers
From this reading ““But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?””
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading ““Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.”
directed up
From this reading ““Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
soft silky fibers from cotton plants in their raw state
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
held up in the air
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh yes,” said Miss Cotton.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
expecting the worst possible outcome
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Oh yes,” said Miss Cotton.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
used as intensifiers
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
a heading that names a statute or legislative bill; may give a brief summary of the matters it deals with
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Miss Cotton bent forward, and Mrs. Pasmer lifted her fingers to let her see the name of the book.
directed up
From this reading “Fumee,” said Mrs. Pasmer, laying the book title upward on her lap for every one to see.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is it?” asked Mrs. Brinkley.
an affirmative
From this reading “Oh yes,” said Miss Cotton.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “But he's so terribly pessimistic, don't you think?”
Chapter 4 of April Hopes by William Dean Howells holds 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 4 holds 399 sentences of April Hopes, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of April Hopes by William Dean Howells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 399 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 April Hopes by William Dean Howells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6976 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3404 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3404, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 581 minutes of reading across 1396 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through April Hopes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of April Hopes 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 April Hopes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
