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Free Air
Free Air

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Free Air is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Free Air
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.
Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.
But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.
Claire reached it somewhat before seven.
She gaped at it in a hazy way.
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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.

Free Air

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Free Air is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.
/ə ruːm wɪˈθaʊt ˈɡoʊfər ˈpreri hæz ɔːl ʌv faɪv ˈθaʊzənd ˈpiːpəl/
Line 2
Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.
Line 3
But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.
Line 4
Claire reached it somewhat before seven.
Line 5
She gaped at it in a hazy way.

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.

asserts verb US /əˈsɜːrts/

third-person singular of “assert” — state categorically

From this reading “Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.”

Collars noun US /ˈkɑːlərz/

plural of “collar” — a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading “But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.”

Cuffs noun US /kʌfs/

plural of “cuff” — the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg

From this reading “But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.”

envious adjective US /ˈenviəs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

From this reading “Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.”

Gopher noun US /ˈɡoʊfər/

a zealously energetic person (especially a salesman)

From this reading “A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.”

hazy adjective US /ˈheɪzi/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading “She gaped at it in a hazy way.”

ridiculously adverb US /rəˈdɪkjələsli/

so as to arouse or deserve laughter

From this reading “Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.”

suite noun US /swiːt/

a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected

From this reading “But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.”

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.

neighboring town adjective + noun

In this reading “Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.”

five thousand noun + noun

In this reading “A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.”

infinitely better adverb + adjective

In this reading “Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.”

thousand people noun + noun

In this reading “A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

assertsverbUS /əˈsɜːrts/

third-person singular of “assert” — state categorically

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

bandnounUS /bænd/

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Claire reached it somewhat before seven.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

Boltwoods

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

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

Claire

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

From this reading Claire reached it somewhat before seven.

clubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

CollarsnounUS /ˈkɑːlərz/

plural of “collar” — a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

commercialadjectiveUS /kəˈmɜːrʃəl/

connected with or engaged in or sponsored by or used in commerce or commercial enterprises

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

CuffsnounUS /kʌfs/

plural of “cuff” — the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

enviousadjectiveUS /ˈenviəs/

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

gaped

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

From this reading She gaped at it in a hazy way.

GophernounUS /ˈɡoʊfər/

a zealously energetic person (especially a salesman)

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

hazyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪzi/

filled or abounding with fog or mist

From this reading She gaped at it in a hazy way.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

infinitelyadverbUS /ˈɪnfənətli/

without bounds

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

Joralemon

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

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

neighboringadjectiveUS /ˈneɪbərɪŋ/

having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

populationnounUS /ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃən/

the people who inhabit a territory or state

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

PrairienounUS /ˈpreri/

a treeless grassy plain

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

PrincenounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading Claire reached it somewhat before seven.

ridiculouslyadverbUS /rəˈdɪkjələsli/

so as to arouse or deserve laughter

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

ROOMnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

royaladjectiveUS /ˈrɔɪəl/

of or relating to or indicative of or issued or performed by a king or queen or other monarch

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading Claire reached it somewhat before seven.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She gaped at it in a hazy way.

signsnounUS /saɪnz/

plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Claire reached it somewhat before seven.

spentadjectiveUS /spent/

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

suitenounUS /swiːt/

a musical composition of several movements only loosely connected

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

tournounUS /tʊr/

a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Its commercial club asserts that it has at least a thousand more population and an infinitely better band than the ridiculously envious neighboring town of Joralemon.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading She gaped at it in a hazy way.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading But there were few signs that a suite had been engaged for the Boltwoods, or that Prince Collars and Cuffs had on his royal tour of America spent much time in Gopher Prairie.

WITHOUTprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading A ROOM WITHOUT Gopher Prairie has all of five thousand people.

Chapter 4 of Free Air by Sinclair Lewis holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 4 of Free Air contain?

Chapter 4 holds 210 sentences of Free Air, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Free Air by Sinclair Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 4 of Free Air?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Free Air

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

Is this the complete text of Free Air?

Yes. All 6146 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #26732 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Free Air is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #26732, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Free Air take to read?

About 512 minutes of reading across 1230 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Free Air section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of Free Air 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 Free Air

Words and structures a reader meets early in Free Air, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Free Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Windshield
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Free Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Closed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Free Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Became
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Free Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.