Chapter 5 of David and the Phoenix is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of David and the Phoenix is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped. Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki. It was the Scientist. "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered. "I don't think so," David whispered back.
Chapter 5 of David and the Phoenix is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading “Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.”
abounding in grass
From this reading “Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.”
of a yellowish brown color
From this reading “Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.”
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading “David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.”
the state capital and largest city located in south central Arizona; situated in a former desert that has become a prosperous agricultural area thanks to irrigation
From this reading “"Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.”
a long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge; usually formed by erosion
From this reading “Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.”
a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
From this reading “It was the Scientist.”
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 Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading "I don't think so," David whispered back.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't think so," David whispered back.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
abounding in grass
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't think so," David whispered back.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the Scientist.
of a yellowish brown color
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
the state capital and largest city located in south central Arizona; situated in a former desert that has become a prosperous agricultural area thanks to irrigation
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
cut with a saw
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
a long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge; usually formed by erosion
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences
From this reading It was the Scientist.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I don't think so," David whispered back.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Below him, on the grassy slope at the foot of the scarp, was a figure clad in khaki.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading David wormed his way to the edge, peered down, and gasped.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you think he saw us?" the Phoenix whispered.
Chapter 5 of David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 5 holds 448 sentences of David and the Phoenix, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 5 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 David and the Phoenix by Edward Ormondroyd on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2674 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27922 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27922, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 222 minutes of reading across 535 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through David and the Phoenix section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of David and the Phoenix 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 David and the Phoenix, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
