Chapter 8 of Clipped Wings is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Clipped Wings is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Eldon was unaware that his light was out. He was unaware of almost everything important. He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan. Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot. But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
Chapter 8 of Clipped Wings is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
perform without preparation
From this reading “But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.”
done or made using whatever is available
From this reading “Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.”
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
(often followed by “of”) not aware
From this reading “Eldon was unaware that his light was out.”
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
From this reading “But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.”
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.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
In this reading “Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.”
In this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
In this reading “He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.”
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 Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He was unaware of almost everything important.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
a Spanish gentleman or nobleman
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading He was unaware of almost everything important.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
plutonic igneous rock having visibly crystalline texture; generally composed of feldspar and mica and quartz
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was unaware of almost everything important.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
of great significance or value
From this reading He was unaware of almost everything important.
perform without preparation
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
done or made using whatever is available
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was unaware of almost everything important.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
on one occasion
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
an open or empty space in or between things
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
(often followed by “of”) not aware
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
past form of “visit” — go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Eldon was unaware that his light was out.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Sheila improvised at once a line to supply what Eldon forgot.
any piece of cord that conveys liquid by capillary action
From this reading But she could not improvise a flame on a wick.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He forgot his opening lines and marched across the stage with the granite tread of the statue that visited Don Juan.
Chapter 8 of Clipped Wings by Rupert Hughes holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 153 sentences of Clipped Wings, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Clipped Wings by Rupert Hughes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 Clipped Wings by Rupert Hughes on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8610 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60037 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60037, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1722 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Clipped Wings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Clipped Wings 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 Clipped Wings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
