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Breaking Away
Breaking Away

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Breaking Away is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Breaking Away
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.
Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.
The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.
"'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.
"When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Breaking Away

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Breaking Away is here in full — 111 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.
Line 2
Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.
Line 3
The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.
/ðə ˈspɪrət ʌv ˈfriːdəm ðæt prɪˈveɪld ðer wɑːz ənˈsuːtəbəl tuː hɪz ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/
Line 4
"'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.
Line 5
"When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

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.

accomplish verb US /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading “Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.”

commissary noun US /ˈkɑːməseri/

a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)

From this reading “IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.”

constitution noun US /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/

law determining the fundamental political principles of a government

From this reading “The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.”

prevailed verb US /prɪˈveɪld/

past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading “The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.”

remaining adjective US /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/

not used up

From this reading “Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.”

Roman adjective US /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading “"'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.”

senate noun US /ˈsenət/

assembly possessing high legislative powers

From this reading “"'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.”

unsuitable adjective US /ənˈsuːtəbəl/

not meant or adapted for a particular purpose

From this reading “The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

accomplishverbUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃ/

put in effect

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/

feeling or showing anger

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

CampnounUS /kæmp/

temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

CANNONDALE

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

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

Catiline

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

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

COMMISSARYnounUS /ˈkɑːməseri/

a retail store that sells equipment and provisions (usually to military personnel)

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

constitutionnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/

law determining the fundamental political principles of a government

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

dueadjectiveUS /duː/

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

ERNEST

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

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

FairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

Parasyte

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

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

PlayverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

prevailedverbUS /prɪˈveɪld/

past form of “prevail” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

receiveverbUS /rəˈsiːv/

get something; come into possession of

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

remainingadjectiveUS /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/

not used up

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

senatenounUS /ˈsenət/

assembly possessing high legislative powers

From this reading "'I go, but I return,'" said he, in the language of Catiline to the Roman senate.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

unsuitableadjectiveUS /ənˈsuːtəbəl/

not meant or adapted for a particular purpose

From this reading The spirit of freedom that prevailed there was unsuitable to his constitution.

Vallington

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

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

VISITverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Mr. Parasyte, angry as he was, had sense enough left to see that he could accomplish nothing by remaining longer at Camp Fair Play.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH ERNEST AND THE COMMISSARY VISIT CANNONDALE.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "When you return we shall receive you with all due respect, Mr. Parasyte," said Harry Vallington.

Chapter 14 of Breaking Away by Oliver Optic holds 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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 14 of Breaking Away contain?

Chapter 14 holds 111 sentences of Breaking Away, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Breaking Away by Oliver Optic exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 111 sentences, grouped into 23 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 14 of Breaking Away?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Breaking Away

Common questions about reading Breaking Away by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Breaking Away?

Yes. All 3294 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22433 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Breaking Away is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22433, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Breaking Away take to read?

About 274 minutes of reading across 659 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Breaking Away section by section

How to work through Breaking Away section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Breaking Away to begin.

  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 Breaking Away

Words and structures a reader meets early in Breaking Away, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Trouble
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Breaking Away; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Parkville
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Breaking Away; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Liberal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Breaking Away; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Institute
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Breaking Away; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.