Chapter 18 of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke. Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth. "Where on earth did he get the money?" "Who could have found such a large amount in a night? It must have been the duchess.
Chapter 18 of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 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.
a quantity of money
From this reading “"Who could have found such a large amount in a night?”
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading “It must have been the duchess.”
make or shape as with an axe
From this reading “Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.”
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading “Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.”
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
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 “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
In this reading “"Who could have found such a large amount in a night?”
In this reading “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
used with question words to convey surprise
In this reading “"Where on earth did he get the money?"”
In this reading “_Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.”
In this reading “"Where on earth did he get the money?"”
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 _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
(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 _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
a quantity of money
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It must have been the duchess.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
the wife of a duke or a woman holding ducal title in her own right
From this reading It must have been the duchess.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
one or the other of two
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
set up or found
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
make or shape as with an axe
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the force of workers available
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It must have been the duchess.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
above and across; more than
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
term of address for a man
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sir Hew was the first to open his mouth.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _Broken bones and successful love._ They had now lost all hold over Moordown; and the three men were so stunned it was a short time before either spoke.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where on earth did he get the money?"
which person or people
From this reading "Who could have found such a large amount in a night?
Chapter 18 of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True by James Anderson Peddie holds 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 18 holds 58 sentences of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True by James Anderson Peddie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 12 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 18 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 Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True by James Anderson Peddie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2607 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61877 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61877, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 217 minutes of reading across 522 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True 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 Dangerous Dilemmas: Startling but True, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
