Chapter 3 of Fruitfulness is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Fruitfulness is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?" The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face. If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey. They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed. "Good evening, good friend Santerre."
Chapter 3 of Fruitfulness is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
any person at all
From this reading “"Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"”
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading “If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.”
disinclined to work or exertion
From this reading “If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.”
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading “They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.”
as might be expected
From this reading “If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.”
be obedient to
From this reading “If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.”
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading “The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.”
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading “The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.”
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.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
any person at all
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
for the reason that
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "Good evening, good friend Santerre."
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
disinclined to work or exertion
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
immediately past
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
as might be expected
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
be obedient to
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Good evening, good friend Santerre."
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They at last made up their minds and allowed themselves to be kissed.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
plural of “visitor” — someone who visits
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If they made little haste, it was because they were naturally indolent and did not care to obey.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The children were not timid; they were already used to society and looked visitors full in the face.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Well, don't you wish anybody good evening?"
Chapter 3 of Fruitfulness by Émile Zola holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 404 sentences of Fruitfulness, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Fruitfulness by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Fruitfulness by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8107 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10330 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10330, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1622 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fruitfulness section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Fruitfulness 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 Fruitfulness, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
