Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Civilization in the United States
Civilization in the United States

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Civilization in the United States is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Civilization in the United States
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.
With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.
There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.
Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.
Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Civilization in the United States

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Civilization in the United States is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.
/ðə kənˈdɪʃənz wɪtʃ meɪd ðə ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk əˈpɪnjən ʌv ðə əˈmerəkə ʌv smɔːl taʊnz ənd ˈoʊ.pən ˈkʌntri ɑːr ɡɔːn/
Line 2
With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.
/wɪð ðer ˈpæsɪŋ ðə ˈoʊldər ˈθɪriz hæv bɪn riˈʃeɪpt tuː nuː ˈpɜːrpəsəz/
Line 3
There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.
/ðer ɑːr noʊ ˈlɔːŋɡər friː ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz fɔːr ɔːl ˈkʌmərz/
Line 4
Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.
/ˈnætʃərəl ˈriːsɔːrsɪz hæv bɪn əˈproʊprieɪtɪd ənd ðə ˈnætʃərəl ˈdɪfərənsɪz bɪˈtwiːn men hæv bɪn enˈhænst baɪ ðə ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəl wʌnz ʌv ˈoʊnərʃɪp ənd ˌɪnˈherətəns/
Line 5
Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.
/welθ ənd kənˈtroʊl hæv əˈlaɪk bɪn strɪpt frʌm ðə ˈmeni ənd ˈkɑːnsəntreɪtɪd ɪn ðə fjuː/

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.

appropriated verb US /əˈproʊprieɪtɪd/

past form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

From this reading “Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.”

comers noun US /ˈkʌmərz/

plural of “comer” — someone with a promising future

From this reading “There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.”

differences noun US /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading “Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.”

economic adjective US /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/

of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth

From this reading “The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.”

enhanced adjective US /enˈhænst/

increased or intensified in value or beauty or quality

From this reading “Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.”

ownership noun US /ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others

From this reading “Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.”

reshaped verb US /riˈʃeɪpt/

past form of “reshape” — shape anew or differently

From this reading “With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.”

theories noun US /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading “With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Natural resources adjective + noun counted as “natural resource”

resources (actual and potential) supplied by nature

In this reading “Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.”

all comers adjective + noun counted as “all comer”

In this reading “There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.”

open country verb + noun

In this reading “The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.”

small towns adjective + noun counted as “small town”

a community of people smaller than a town

In this reading “The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

alikeadverbUS /əˈlaɪk/

equally

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

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 There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

appropriatedverbUS /əˈproʊprieɪtɪd/

past form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

artificialadjectiveUS /ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəl/

contrived by art rather than nature

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

comersnounUS /ˈkʌmərz/

plural of “comer” — someone with a promising future

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

concentratedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnsəntreɪtɪd/

gathered together or made less diffuse

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/

power to direct or determine

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

differencesnounUS /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

economicadjectiveUS /ˌekəˈnɑːmɪk/

of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

enhancedadjectiveUS /enˈhænst/

increased or intensified in value or beauty or quality

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

inheritancenounUS /ˌɪnˈherətəns/

hereditary succession to a title or an office or property

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

NaturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

onesnounUS /wʌnz/

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

opinionnounUS /əˈpɪnjən/

a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

opportunitiesnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnətiz/

plural of “opportunity” — a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

ownershipnounUS /ˈoʊnərʃɪp/

the relation of an owner to the thing possessed; possession with the right to transfer possession to others

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

purposesnounUS /ˈpɜːrpəsəz/

plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

reshapedverbUS /riˈʃeɪpt/

past form of “reshape” — shape anew or differently

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

resourcesnounUS /ˈriːsɔːrsɪz/

plural of “resource” — available source of wealth; a new or reserve supply that can be drawn upon when needed

From this reading Natural resources have been appropriated, and the natural differences between men have been enhanced by the artificial ones of ownership and inheritance.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

strippedadjectiveUS /strɪpt/

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are no longer free economic opportunities for all comers.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

WealthnounUS /welθ/

the state of being rich and affluent; having a plentiful supply of material goods and money

From this reading Wealth and control have alike been stripped from the many and concentrated in the few.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The conditions which made the economic opinion of the America of small towns and open country are gone.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With their passing the older theories have been reshaped to new purposes.

Chapter 8 of Civilization in the United States by Harold [Editor] Stearns holds 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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 8 of Civilization in the United States contain?

Chapter 8 holds 478 sentences of Civilization in the United States, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Civilization in the United States by Harold [Editor] Stearns exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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 8 of Civilization in the United States?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Civilization in the United States

Common questions about reading Civilization in the United States by Harold [Editor] Stearns on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Civilization in the United States?

Yes. All 7697 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68385 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Civilization in the United States is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #68385, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Civilization in the United States take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1540 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Civilization in the United States section by section

How to work through Civilization in the United States section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of Civilization in the United States 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 Civilization in the United States

Words and structures a reader meets early in Civilization in the United States, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Civilization in the United States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enclosed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Civilization in the United States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Civilization in the United States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Boldface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Civilization in the United States; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.