Chapter 6 of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories 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 VI
Chapter 6 of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer. Then he heard the voice again. "Caedmon, sing something." "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man." I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
Chapter 6 of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories 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.
react verbally
From this reading “At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.”
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “"Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."”
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading “At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.”
unpleasantly stern
From this reading “I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.”
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading “"Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."”
deliver by singing
From this reading “"Caedmon, sing something."”
a short musical composition with words
From this reading “I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.”
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading “I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.”
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.
anew
From this reading Then he heard the voice again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
react verbally
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Caedmon, sing something."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
unpleasantly stern
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Then he heard the voice again.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Oh, I cannot sing," answered the poor man."
deliver by singing
From this reading "Caedmon, sing something."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "Caedmon, sing something."
a short musical composition with words
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then he heard the voice again.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he heard the voice again.
offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness
From this reading I do not know any song; and my voice is harsh and unpleasant.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Then he heard the voice again.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At first he was so bewildered that he could not answer.
Chapter 6 of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories by James Baldwin 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 6 holds 414 sentences of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories by James Baldwin 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 6 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 Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories by James Baldwin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2538 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6168 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6168, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 211 minutes of reading across 508 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories 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 Fifty Famous People: A Book of Short Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
