Chapter 7 of Downstream is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Downstream is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Peter still did not contradict him. He was absorbed in deep thought. Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand: “You are a fine fellow, Herman. Damn me, but you are a fine fellow!”
Chapter 7 of Downstream is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading “He was absorbed in deep thought.”
be in contradiction with
From this reading “Peter still did not contradict him.”
used as expletives
From this reading “Damn me, but you are a fine fellow!””
yet to be or coming
From this reading “Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:”
United States jazz musician and bandleader (1913-1987)
From this reading ““You are a fine fellow, Herman.”
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading “Peter still did not contradict him.”
compacted by ironing
From this reading “Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:”
in a hearty manner
From this reading “Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:”
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 ““You are a fine fellow, Herman.”
In this reading “He was absorbed in deep thought.”
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 “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Damn me, but you are a fine fellow!”
be in contradiction with
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
used as expletives
From this reading Damn me, but you are a fine fellow!”
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
a boy or man
From this reading “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
yet to be or coming
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
United States jazz musician and bandleader (1913-1987)
From this reading “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Damn me, but you are a fine fellow!”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
compacted by ironing
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
not in physical motion
From this reading Peter still did not contradict him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
in a hearty manner
From this reading Suddenly he warmly pressed his future brother-in-law’s hand:
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was absorbed in deep thought.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You are a fine fellow, Herman.
Chapter 7 of Downstream by Sigfrid Siwertz holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 7 holds 418 sentences of Downstream, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Downstream by Sigfrid Siwertz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 7 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 Downstream by Sigfrid Siwertz on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9414 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60685 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60685, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1883 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Downstream section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of Downstream 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 Downstream, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
