Chapter 6 of Best Short Stories is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Best Short Stories is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The good pastor was sorely perplexed. After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it. But I'll tell you what I might do." Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought. "I might ask him to join the choir."
Chapter 6 of Best Short Stories is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading “"I might ask him to join the choir."”
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading “After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.”
provided with artificial light
From this reading “Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.”
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading “The good pastor was sorely perplexed.”
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading “The good pastor was sorely perplexed.”
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading “After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.”
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading “After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.”
to a great degree
From this reading “The good pastor was sorely perplexed.”
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 After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
later than; following
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "I might ask him to join the choir."
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony
From this reading "I might ask him to join the choir."
the quality of being beautiful and delicate in appearance
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
provided with artificial light
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading "I might ask him to join the choir."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
as might be expected
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
to a great degree
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
express in words
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Here his face became illuminated by a happy thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The good pastor was sorely perplexed.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading After a few moments' reflection, he said, "Well, I naturally would feel a little delicacy on that score, especially as I should have to tell him why I asked it.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But I'll tell you what I might do."
Chapter 6 of Best Short Stories by Thomas L. [Compiler] Masson holds 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 6 holds 445 sentences of Best Short Stories, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Best Short Stories by Thomas L. [Compiler] Masson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 6 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.
