Chapter 4 of Cord and Creese is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Cord and Creese is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND. When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky. He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot. His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion. He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
Chapter 4 of Cord and Creese is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
From this reading “THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.”
made difficult or slow
From this reading “His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.”
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading “He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.”
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading “His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.”
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading “His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.”
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading “He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.”
past form of “stiffen” — become stiff or stiffer
From this reading “He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.”
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort
From this reading “His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.”
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 He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
clothing in general
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
box in which a corpse is buried or cremated
From this reading THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
advanced in complexity or elaboration
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
made difficult or slow
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
set down according to a plan
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
on one occasion
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
to some extent; in some degree; not wholly
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
past form of “stiffen” — become stiff or stiffer
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MYSTERY OF COFFIN ISLAND.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
a special situation
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took off nearly every thing, and laid them out on the sand.
conducive to or feeling mental discomfort
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading His clothes already were partly dry, but they were uncomfortable and impeded his motion.
at the time that
From this reading When Brandon awaked on the following morning the sun was already high in the sky.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He rose at once and walked slowly up, with stiffened limbs, to a higher spot.
Chapter 4 of Cord and Creese by James De Mille holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 4 holds 410 sentences of Cord and Creese, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Cord and Creese by James De Mille exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 4 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 Cord and Creese by James De Mille on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 12973 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8572 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #8572, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2595 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cord and Creese section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Cord and Creese 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 Cord and Creese, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
