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Elmer Gantry
Elmer Gantry

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Elmer Gantry is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Elmer Gantry
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.
Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.
Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”
“Why, yes.”
“I smelled it.
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.

Elmer Gantry

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Elmer Gantry is here in full — 359 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.
Line 2
Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.
/səmˈtaɪmz hiː siːmd ˈveri nɪr hɜːr ðə nekst taɪm ʃiː wʊd rɪˈɡɑːrd hɪm wɪð bliːk ˈtʃaɪnə aɪz/
Line 3
Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”
Line 4
“Why, yes.”
/waɪ jes/
Line 5
“I smelled it.
/aɪ smeld ɪt/

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.

bleak adjective US /bliːk/

offering little or no hope

From this reading “Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.”

chronicled verb US /ˈkrɑːnɪkəld/

past form of “chronicle” — record in chronological order; make a historical record

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

conversion noun US /kənˈvɜːrʒən/

an event that results in a transformation

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

eloquence noun US /ˈel.ə.kwəns/

Fluent, persuasive, and graceful speaking or writing. (Sự hùng biện, tài ăn nói lưu loát.)

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

Falconer noun US /ˈfælkənər/

a person who breeds and trains hawks and who follows the sport of falconry

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

machinery noun US /məˈʃiːnəri/

machines or machine systems collectively

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

meetings noun US /ˈmiːtɪŋz/

plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering

From this reading “I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.”

smelled verb US /smeld/

past form of “smell” — inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense

From this reading ““I smelled it.”

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.

next time adjective + noun

In this reading “Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.”

seemed very verb + adjective counted as “seem very”

In this reading “Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

BiblenounUS /ˈbaɪbəl/

the sacred writings of the Christian religions

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/

offering little or no hope

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

chinanounUS /ˈtʃaɪnə/

a communist nation that covers a vast territory in eastern Asia; the most populous country in the world

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

chronicledverbUS /ˈkrɑːnɪkəld/

past form of “chronicle” — record in chronological order; make a historical record

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

conversionnounUS /kənˈvɜːrʒən/

an event that results in a transformation

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

don't

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

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

eloquencenounUS /ˈel.ə.kwəns/

Fluent, persuasive, and graceful speaking or writing. (Sự hùng biện, tài ăn nói lưu loát.)

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

FalconernounUS /ˈfælkənər/

a person who breeds and trains hawks and who follows the sport of falconry

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

Gideon

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “I smelled it.

machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/

machines or machine systems collectively

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

meetingsnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋz/

plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

OnceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

regardnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrd/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

seriesnounUS /ˈsɪriz/

similar things placed in order or happening one after another

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

Sharon

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

SisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

smelledverbUS /smeld/

past form of “smell” — inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense

From this reading “I smelled it.

smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

SometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

TWOnounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why, yes.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I TWO more series of meetings Sharon Falconer held that summer, and at each of them the power in the machinery world appeared and chronicled his conversion by the Gideon Bible and the eloquence of Sister Falconer.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Sometimes he seemed very near her; the next time she would regard him with bleak china eyes.

yesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Why, yes.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Once she turned on him with: “You smoke, don’t you?”

Chapter 12 of Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis holds 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 12 of Elmer Gantry contain?

Chapter 12 holds 359 sentences of Elmer Gantry, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 359 sentences, grouped into 72 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 12 of Elmer Gantry?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Elmer Gantry

Common questions about reading Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Elmer Gantry?

Yes. All 9683 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72609 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Elmer Gantry is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #72609, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Elmer Gantry take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1937 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Elmer Gantry section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of Elmer Gantry 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 Elmer Gantry

Words and structures a reader meets early in Elmer Gantry, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mencken
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elmer Gantry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Profound
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elmer Gantry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Admiration
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elmer Gantry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elmer Gantry; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.