Chapter 20 of Downstream is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Downstream is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
After some hours Georg came back. He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious. Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked. She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog. She probably felt she might need him again.
Chapter 20 of Downstream is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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 member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading “She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.”
a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
From this reading “She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.”
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading “She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.”
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.”
the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm
From this reading “Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.”
a person who requires medical care
From this reading “He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.”
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading “He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.”
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.
be restored
In this reading “After some hours Georg came back.”
In this reading “After some hours Georg came back.”
In this reading “He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.”
In this reading “She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.”
In this reading “Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.”
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 She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
later than; following
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
anew
From this reading She probably felt she might need him again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading She probably felt she might need him again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading She probably felt she might need him again.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading She probably felt she might need him again.
not any; not one
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
the work of caring for the sick or injured or infirm
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
and nothing more
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading She probably felt she might need him again.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She only heaped her gratitude on Georg and fawned on him like a dog.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading After some hours Georg came back.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He had not been able to give any message as the patient was unconscious.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Laura put no questions about the nursing home, what the doctor had said, or how the patient looked.
Chapter 20 of Downstream by Sigfrid Siwertz holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 20 holds 414 sentences of Downstream, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Downstream by Sigfrid Siwertz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 20 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.
