Chapter 8 of Christopher and the Clockmakers is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Christopher and the Clockmakers is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully: "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks." "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise. "Why, Mr. Hawley's." The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
Chapter 8 of Christopher and the Clockmakers is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
quickly and without warning
From this reading “The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.”
a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport
From this reading “AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:”
a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading “"I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."”
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading “AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:”
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading “"I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."”
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading “The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.”
with regret (used in polite formulas)
From this reading “AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:”
walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway
From this reading “The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.”
In this reading “The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.”
move out of or depart from
In this reading “AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:”
In this reading “"I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."”
In this reading “"What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.”
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 AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
quickly and without warning
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
a vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
a fractional monetary unit of several countries
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, Mr. Hawley's."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Why, Mr. Hawley's."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
with regret (used in polite formulas)
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
a native or inhabitant of Scotland
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
walk consisting of a paved area for pedestrians; usually beside a street or roadway
From this reading The Scotchman halted abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "I'd have given a cent to see the rest of those clocks."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading AN ADVENTURE As they went out to board a returning bus, Christopher remarked regretfully:
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, Mr. Hawley's."
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What clocks?" inquired McPhearson with surprise.
Chapter 8 of Christopher and the Clockmakers by Sara Ware Bassett holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 220 sentences of Christopher and the Clockmakers, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Christopher and the Clockmakers by Sara Ware Bassett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 Christopher and the Clockmakers by Sara Ware Bassett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3975 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26857 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #26857, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 331 minutes of reading across 795 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Christopher and the Clockmakers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Christopher and the Clockmakers 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 Christopher and the Clockmakers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
