Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Dick Chester
Dick Chester

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Dick Chester is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By G. I. (Grace Isabelle) Whitham • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Dick Chester
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.
The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.
The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.
As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.
There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Dick Chester

Chapter X

Chapter 10 of Dick Chester is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.
Line 2
The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.
/ðə lɔːŋ ˈdʌsti roʊd ræn pæst ɪt tuː ðə hɪlz ənd ðə ˈkʌntri wɑːz ˈdesələt ənd waɪld/
Line 3
The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.
Line 4
As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.
Line 5
There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.
/ðer wɑːz ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː ðə west bʌt ðə ˈsʌnset wer ðə waɪt roʊd ræn aʊt ʌv saɪt ˈɪntuː ðə skaɪ æz ɪt siːmd/

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.

clearing noun US /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading “As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
county noun US /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading “As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desolate adjective US /ˈdesələt/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading “The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dusty adjective US /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading “The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lonely adjective US /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading “THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunset noun US /ˈsʌnset/

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading “There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swept adjective US /swept/

possessing sweep

From this reading “As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Thorns noun US /θɔːrnz/

plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance

From this reading “THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

dusty road adjective + noun

In this reading “The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.”

1,161 times in 426,211 chapters
county town noun + noun

the town or city that is the seat of government for a shire

In this reading “As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.”

391 times in 426,211 chapters
lonely place adjective + noun

In this reading “THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.”

1,404 times in 426,211 chapters
ran out verb + adjective counted as “run out”

become used up; be exhausted

In this reading “There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.”

15,219 times in 426,211 chapters
into the sky preposition + article + noun counted as “into … sky”

In this reading “There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.”

2,279 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 58

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 THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Arncastor

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

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Pending verification
Arne

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

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Pending verification
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BOYnounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
countynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desolateadjectiveUS /ˈdesələt/

providing no shelter or sustenance

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dustyadjectiveUS /ˈdʌsti/

covered with a layer of dust

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ForestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hillsnounUS /hɪlz/

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
INN-KEEPER'S

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

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

Pending verification
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lonelyadjectiveUS /ˈloʊnli/

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slopedadjective

having an oblique or slanted direction

From this reading The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoke-wreaths

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

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Pending verification
sunsetnounUS /ˈsʌnset/

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sweptadjectiveUS /swept/

possessing sweep

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThornsnounUS /θɔːrnz/

plural of “thorn” — something that causes irritation and annoyance

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE INN-KEEPER'S BOY The Seven Thorns was a lonely place.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
weathercocknoun

weathervane with a vane in the form of a rooster

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
westnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading The road sloped down to the east and up to the west.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading There was nothing to the west but the sunset, where the white road ran out of sight into the sky, as it seemed.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading The long dusty road ran past it to the hills, and the country was desolate and wild.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading As far as you could see to the east swept the trees of the Forest of Arne, and in a clearing, out of sight save for the smoke-wreaths and the church weathercock, lay Arncastor, the county town.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 10 of Dick Chester by G. I. (Grace Isabelle) Whitham holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 10 of Dick Chester contain?

Chapter 10 holds 123 sentences of Dick Chester, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Dick Chester by G. I. (Grace Isabelle) Whitham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 10 of Dick Chester?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Dick Chester

Common questions about reading Dick Chester by G. I. (Grace Isabelle) Whitham on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dick Chester?

Yes. All 3461 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76615 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dick Chester is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76615, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dick Chester take to read?

About 288 minutes of reading across 693 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dick Chester section by section

How to work through Dick Chester section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Dick Chester to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Dick Chester

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dick Chester, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Giles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dick Chester; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stableman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dick Chester; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dick Chester; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horses--one
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dick Chester; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.