Chapter 8 of Black Oxen is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Black Oxen is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly. A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night. If she would only go! He called the house. The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
Chapter 8 of Black Oxen is here in full — 394 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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 manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading “The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.”
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading “A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.”
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading “A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.”
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.”
explained or answered
From this reading “When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.”
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading “The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.”
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading “A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.”
plural of “ticket” — a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)
From this reading “A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.”
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 A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table
From this reading The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He called the house.
closed in or surrounded or included within
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
set up or found
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If she would only go!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading He called the house.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If she would only go!
having much knowledge or education
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
a particular point in time
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
a brief written record
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
and nothing more
From this reading If she would only go!
a drama set to music; consists of singing with orchestral accompaniment and an orchestral overture and interludes
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
by chance
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If she would only go!
move stealthily
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
explained or answered
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
plural of “ticket” — a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The butler answered and retired to summon Madame Zattiany.
at the time that
From this reading When he reached his rooms he found his problem solved for the moment--possibly.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A telephone slip informed him that Madame Zattiany would be at home, and a note from Mrs. Oglethorpe enclosed tickets for her box at the opera that night.
Chapter 8 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton holds 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 8 holds 394 sentences of Black Oxen, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 394 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 8 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 Black Oxen by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9023 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25542 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25542, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1805 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Oxen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Black Oxen 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 Black Oxen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
