Dawson Black: Retail Merchant

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harold Whitehead • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Dawson Black: Retail Merchant

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A NEW THOUGHT ON RETAIL SELLING As soon as I had time, I went to Boston and saw Alex Cantling, as Barlow had suggested, to find out how much money it would take to start an automobile accessory department.

Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXXII Reading 1/46

Dawson Black: Retail Merchant

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

Line 3

He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

Line 4

When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

/wen aɪ toʊld hɪm maɪ ˈbɪznəs hiː pʊʃt hɪz ˈpeɪpərz əˈsaɪd ənd ɡeɪv miː hɪz ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd əˈtenʃən/

Line 5

Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

/ðen ˈæftər ə ˈlɪtəl waɪl hiː dɪd sʌm ˈfɪɡjərɪŋ ɑːn ə piːs ʌv ˈpeɪpər/

Learner Dictionary

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.

accessory noun US /ækˈsesəri/

clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing

From this reading “A NEW THOUGHT ON RETAIL SELLING As soon as I had time, I went to Boston and saw Alex Cantling, as Barlow had suggested, to find out how much money it would take to start an automobile accessory department.”

automobile noun US /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

Boston noun US /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

department noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

figuring noun US /ˈfɪɡjərɪŋ/

problem solving that involves numbers or quantities

From this reading “Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.”

retail verb US /ˈriːteɪl/

be sold at the retail level

selling noun US /ˈselɪŋ/

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

undivided adjective US /ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd/

not parted by conflict of opinion

From this reading “When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

undivided attention adjective + noun

In this reading “When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.”

find out verb + adjective

establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

In this reading “A NEW THOUGHT ON RETAIL SELLING As soon as I had time, I went to Boston and saw Alex Cantling, as Barlow had suggested, to find out how much money it would take to start an automobile accessory department.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A NEW THOUGHT ON RETAIL SELLING As soon as I had time, I went to Boston and saw Alex Cantling, as Barlow had suggested, to find out how much money it would take to start an automobile accessory department.

accessorynounUS /ækˈsesəri/

clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

Alex

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

asideadverbUS /əˈsaɪd/

on or to one side

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

attentionnounUS /əˈtenʃən/

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

automobilenounUS /ˈɔːtəmoʊbiːl/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

Barlow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

big-bonedadjective

having a bone structure that is massive in contrast with the surrounding flesh

From this reading Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

BostonnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

brass-tack

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

Cantling

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

clean-shavenadjective

closely shaved recently

From this reading Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

departmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

figuringnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərɪŋ/

problem solving that involves numbers or quantities

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

healthy-looking

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

NEWadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

papersnounUS /ˈpeɪpərz/

writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

pushedverbUS /pʊʃt/

past form of “push” — move with force

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

RETAILverbUS /ˈriːteɪl/

be sold at the retail level

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

SELLINGnounUS /ˈselɪŋ/

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

startverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

suggestedverbUS /səˈdʒestɪd/

past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

THOUGHTnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

undividedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndəˈvaɪdɪd/

not parted by conflict of opinion

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Alex Cantling was a big-boned, clean-shaven, healthy-looking man.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He was what I would call a brass-tack man.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I told him my business, he pushed his papers aside and gave me his undivided attention.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Then after a little while he did some figuring on a piece of paper.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

Chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant by Harold Whitehead holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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.

What does chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant contain?

Chapter 32 holds 234 sentences of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant by Harold Whitehead exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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.

How do I study chapter 32 of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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.

Can chapter 32 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 32 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.

Questions about reading Dawson Black: Retail Merchant

Common questions about reading Dawson Black: Retail Merchant by Harold Whitehead on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant?

Yes. All 5751 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #36302 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #36302, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dawson Black: Retail Merchant take to read?

About 479 minutes of reading across 1151 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Dawson Black: Retail Merchant

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dawson Black: Retail Merchant, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Business: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Career: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peter: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dawson Black: Retail Merchant; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXXII

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