Driven Back to Eden

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of Driven Back to Eden is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edward Payson Roe • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

OWLS AND ANTWERPS Each day at dawn, unless it was stormy, Merton patrolled the place with his gun, looking for hawks and other creatures which at this season he was permitted to shoot.

He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

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 XXII Reading 1/9

Driven Back to Eden Edward Payson Roe

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of Driven Back to Eden is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

OWLS AND ANTWERPS Each day at dawn, unless it was stormy, Merton patrolled the place with his gun, looking for hawks and other creatures which at this season he was permitted to shoot. He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes. For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds. He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects. One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

Driven Back to Eden

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

Chapter 22 of Driven Back to Eden is here in full — 49 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

OWLS AND ANTWERPS Each day at dawn, unless it was stormy, Merton patrolled the place with his gun, looking for hawks and other creatures which at this season he was permitted to shoot.

Line 2

He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

Line 3

For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

/fɔːr ə taɪm hiː sɔː ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː ˈfaɪər æt sɪns hiː hæd ˈprɑːməst miː nɑːt tuː ʃuːt ˈhɑːrmləs bɜːrdz/

Line 4

He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

/hiː ˈɔːlweɪz ˌɪnˈdʌldʒd hɪmˈself ˌhaʊˈevər ɪn wʌn ʃɑːt æt ə mɑːrk ənd wɑːz bɪˈkʌmɪŋ ʃʊr ɪn hɪz eɪm æt ˈsteɪʃəneri ˈɑːbdʒekts/

Line 5

One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

/wʌn ˈiːvnɪŋ ˌhaʊˈevər wen wiː wɜːr ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈredi tuː rɪˈtaɪr ə streɪndʒ saʊnd ˈstɑːrtəld ʌs/

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.

deadlier adjective US /ˈdedliər/

comparative of “deadly” — causing or capable of causing death

From this reading “He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.”

hawks noun US /hɔːks/

plural of “hawk” — diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

From this reading “OWLS AND ANTWERPS Each day at dawn, unless it was stormy, Merton patrolled the place with his gun, looking for hawks and other creatures which at this season he was permitted to shoot.”

indulged verb US /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒd/

past form of “indulge” — give free rein to

From this reading “He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.”

Merton noun US /ˈmɜːrtən/

United States religious and writer (1915-1968)

owls noun US /aʊlz/

plural of “owl” — nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes

patrolled verb US /pəˈtroʊld/

inflected form of “patrol” — maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol

stationary adjective US /ˈsteɪʃəneri/

standing still

From this reading “He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.”

stormy adjective US /ˈstɔːrmi/

(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion

All words in this reading · 79

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 For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

aimverbUS /eɪm/

point or cause to go (blows, weapons, or objects such as photographic equipment) towards

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading OWLS AND ANTWERPS Each day at dawn, unless it was stormy, Merton patrolled the place with his gun, looking for hawks and other creatures which at this season he was permitted to shoot.

ANTWERPS

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

becomingadjectiveUS /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/

according with custom or propriety

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

creaturesnounUS /ˈkriːtʃərz/

plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

deadlieradjectiveUS /ˈdedliər/

comparative of “deadly” — causing or capable of causing death

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

foesnounUS /foʊz/

plural of “foe” — an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

gunnounUS /ɡʌn/

a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

harmlessadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrmləs/

not causing or capable of causing harm

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

hawksnounUS /hɔːks/

plural of “hawk” — diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

indulgedverbUS /ˌɪnˈdʌldʒd/

past form of “indulge” — give free rein to

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

markverbUS /mɑːrk/

attach a tag or label to

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

MertonnounUS /ˈmɜːrtən/

United States religious and writer (1915-1968)

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

objectsnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekts/

plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

OWLSnounUS /aʊlz/

plural of “owl” — nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes

patrolledverbUS /pəˈtroʊld/

inflected form of “patrol” — maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol

permittedverbUS /pərˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “permit” — consent to, give permission

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

promisedverbUS /ˈprɑːməst/

past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

protectverbUS /prəˈtekt/

shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

retireverbUS /rɪˈtaɪr/

go into retirement; stop performing one's work or withdraw from one's position

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

sallying

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

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

seriousadjectiveUS /ˈsɪriəs/

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

shootverbUS /ʃuːt/

hit with a missile from a weapon

shotnounUS /ʃɑːt/

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

startledadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtəld/

excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

stationaryadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪʃəneri/

standing still

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/

(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading He always indulged himself, however, in one shot at a mark, and was becoming sure in his aim at stationary objects.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading For a time he saw nothing to fire at, since he had promised me not to shoot harmless birds.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading He had quite as serious and important an air as if he were sallying forth to protect us from deadlier foes.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading One evening, however, when we were almost ready to retire, a strange sound startled us.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Chapter 22 of Driven Back to Eden by Edward Payson Roe holds 49 sentences, grouped into 10 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 22 of Driven Back to Eden contain?

Chapter 22 holds 49 sentences of Driven Back to Eden, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of Driven Back to Eden by Edward Payson Roe exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 49 sentences, grouped into 10 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 22 of Driven Back to Eden?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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.

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Yes. All 3236 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5269 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #5269, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 269 minutes of reading across 648 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Driven Back to Eden

Words and structures a reader meets early in Driven Back to Eden, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pondered: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Driven Back to Eden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Winnie: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Driven Back to Eden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXII · Chapter 22

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