Chapter 5 of Best Short Stories is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Best Short Stories is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here." HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins. It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying. Their father went up to find the cause. "What's the matter up here?" he inquired.
Chapter 5 of Best Short Stories 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
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.
immersing the body in water or sunshine
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
demanding attention
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
showing warm and heartfelt friendliness
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “"What's the matter up here?" he inquired.”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.”
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading “HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.”
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 It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
immersing the body in water or sunshine
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
a room used primarily for sleeping
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
brought into existence
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
demanding attention
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
showing warm and heartfelt friendliness
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What's the matter up here?" he inquired.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
the sound of laughing
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What's the matter up here?" he inquired.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
not any; not one
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It was bathing time and from the twins' bedroom came sounds of hearty laughter and loud crying.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
two times
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "No," said the old man, "I was born two good miles from here."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Their father went up to find the cause.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading HE GOT IT TWICE They were twins.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What's the matter up here?" he inquired.
Chapter 5 of Best Short Stories by Thomas L. [Compiler] Masson 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.
Chapter 5 holds 440 sentences of Best Short Stories, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Best Short Stories by Thomas L. [Compiler] Masson 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Best Short Stories by Thomas L. [Compiler] Masson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3147 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15667 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #15667, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 262 minutes of reading across 630 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Best Short Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of Best Short Stories 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 Best Short Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
