Chapter 4 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it. The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning. He was too conventional to have much imagination. He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity. But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
Chapter 4 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
following accepted customs and proprieties
From this reading “He was too conventional to have much imagination.”
past form of “devise” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading “He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.”
capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are
From this reading “But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.”
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading “He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.”
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading “He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.”
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading “A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.”
-ing form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading “He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.”
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading “A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.”
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.
In this reading “But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.”
In this reading “A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.”
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 A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
later than; following
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
following accepted customs and proprieties
From this reading He was too conventional to have much imagination.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
past form of “devise” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
the act of discovering something
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
capable of being done with means at hand and circumstances as they are
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
set up or found
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
hold firmly
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He was too conventional to have much imagination.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading He was too conventional to have much imagination.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He was too conventional to have much imagination.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
-ing form of “restore” — return to its original or usable and functioning condition
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading But after the first shock of discovery it seemed feasible.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
a special situation
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He had not thought it possible that fortune could have devised a method of restoring his old prosperity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was too conventional to have much imagination.
not expected or anticipated
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The thing was so unexpected he found it hard to grasp Joe Raffle's meaning.
but in spite of that
From this reading A GREAT TEMPTATION As yet Fielden could not realize it.
Chapter 4 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 4 holds 109 sentences of Hard Pressed, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 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.
Common questions about reading Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5056 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 421 minutes of reading across 1012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hard Pressed section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Hard Pressed 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 Hard Pressed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
