Chapter 26 of Half A Chance is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVI
Chapter 26 of Half A Chance is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different. What made the difference? His recent illness? The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case? He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.
Chapter 26 of Half A Chance is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
without doubt or question
From this reading “He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.”
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading “What made the difference?”
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading “His recent illness?”
new
From this reading “His recent illness?”
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading “The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?”
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading “PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.”
in a short and concise manner
From this reading “He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.”
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
an occurrence of something
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
without doubt or question
From this reading He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.
the quality of being unlike or dissimilar
From this reading What made the difference?
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
well known or easily recognized
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His recent illness?
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading His recent illness?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading What made the difference?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
the time that has elapsed
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
with speed
From this reading He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.
new
From this reading His recent illness?
represented accurately or precisely
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
in a short and concise manner
From this reading He was speaking quickly, clearly, tersely.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What made the difference?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The character of what he was saying, the fact that he represented himself, not another, in this case?
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What made the difference?
but in spite of that
From this reading PAST AND PRESENT And yet those tones were not exactly like John Steele's; they sounded familiar, yet different.
Chapter 26 of Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham holds 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 26 holds 227 sentences of Half A Chance, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 26 of Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 46 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 26 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 Half A Chance by Frederic Stewart Isham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4101 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14249 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14249, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 341 minutes of reading across 821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Half A Chance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Half A Chance 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 Half A Chance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
