Chapter 3 of Empire Builders is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Empire Builders is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering. "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech. How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?" Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles. "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
Chapter 3 of Empire Builders is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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 statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading “The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.”
showing or representing to advantage
From this reading “The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.”
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading “"You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.”
possessive form of “ford” — United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading “Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.”
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading “The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.”
possessive form of “lawyer” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading “The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.”
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading “Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.”
serving to bring to mind
From this reading “Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.”
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're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
showing or representing to advantage
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
possessive form of “ford” — United States film maker (1896-1973)
From this reading Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.
(used as intensives reflecting the speaker's attitude) it is sincerely the case that
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
possessive form of “lawyer” — a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
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 How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
not any; not one
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
full of or giving praise
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
serving to bring to mind
From this reading Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.
express in words
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Ford's smile was reminiscent of the obstacles.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
carry out
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
express in words
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The lawyer's comment was frankly praiseful, not to say flattering.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "It would take me all night to tell you in detail, Kenneth.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading How on earth did you manage to do it all at such long range?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're a wonder, Ford--and that's no figure of speech.
Chapter 3 of Empire Builders by Francis Lynde holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 3 holds 408 sentences of Empire Builders, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Empire Builders by Francis Lynde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 3 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 Empire Builders by Francis Lynde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5002 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16630 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16630, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 1001 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Empire Builders section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Empire Builders 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 Empire Builders, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
