Chapter 3 of Condensed Novels is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Condensed Novels is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Little worked hard. He studied night and day. In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor. He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor. He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
Chapter 3 of Condensed Novels is here in full — 54 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/10 · 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.
plural of “abomination” — a person who is loathsome or disgusting
From this reading “He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.”
examined carefully and methodically; broken down for consideration of constituent parts
From this reading “He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.”
plural of “cellar” — the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading “He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.”
having abnormal sagging of the spine (especially in horses)
From this reading “He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.”
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading “He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.”
a public lecturer at certain universities
From this reading “In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.”
past form of “soar” — rise rapidly
From this reading “He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.”
a garment worn under other garments
From this reading “He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.”
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 In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
plural of “abomination” — a person who is loathsome or disgusting
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
examined carefully and methodically; broken down for consideration of constituent parts
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He studied night and day.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
plural of “cellar” — the lowermost portion of a structure partly or wholly below ground level; often used for storage
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He studied night and day.
having abnormal sagging of the spine (especially in horses)
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
set up or found
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading Little worked hard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He studied night and day.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
a public lecturer at certain universities
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Little worked hard.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading He studied night and day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
the local environment
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
past form of “soar” — rise rapidly
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation
From this reading He studied night and day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He soared as high as the clouds, he dipped as low as the cellars of the London poor.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
a garment worn under other garments
From this reading He analyzed the London fog, and found it two parts smoke, one disease, one unmentionable abominations.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Little worked hard.
a late time of life
From this reading In five years he became a lecturer, then a professor.
Chapter 3 of Condensed Novels by Bret Harte holds 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 3 holds 54 sentences of Condensed Novels, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Condensed Novels by Bret Harte exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 54 sentences, grouped into 11 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 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 3 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 Condensed Novels by Bret Harte on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1918 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2277 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2277, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 159 minutes of reading across 384 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Condensed Novels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Condensed Novels 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 Condensed Novels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
