Hard Pressed

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVI Reading 1/24

Hard Pressed

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Hard Pressed is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

Line 2

The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

Line 3

With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

Line 4

They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

/ðeɪ wɜːr ˈiːvɪn wɜːrs ðæn ðə ˈɔːrdəneri rʌn ʌv ˈiːkwaɪn ˈrʌbɪʃ ˈjuːʒəwəli ˈfɔɪstɪd ɑːn ðə ˌmɪljəˈner huːz æmˈbɪʃən ɪt ɪz tuː ˈfɪɡjər æz ə ˈpeɪtrən ʌv ðə tɜːrf/

Line 5

Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

/pərˈhæps ðə hoʊl θɪŋ wɑːz ə blaɪnd/

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.

Copley noun US /ˈkɑːpli/

American painter who did portraits of Paul Revere and John Hancock before fleeing to England to avoid the American Revolution (1738-1815)

From this reading “With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.”

equine adjective US /ˈiːkwaɪn/

resembling a horse

From this reading “They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.”

foisted verb US /ˈfɔɪstɪd/

past form of “foist” — to force onto another

From this reading “They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.”

millionaire noun US /ˌmɪljəˈner/

a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading “They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.”

moderate verb US /ˈmɑːdərət/

preside over

From this reading “The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.”

patron noun US /ˈpeɪtrən/

a regular customer

From this reading “They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.”

racer noun US /ˈreɪsər/

someone who drives racing cars at high speeds

From this reading “The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.”

rubbish noun US /ˈrʌbɪʃ/

worthless material that is to be disposed of

From this reading “They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.”

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.

intimate knowledge adjective + noun

In this reading “With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.”

wondered why noun + noun counted as “wonder why”

In this reading “With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.”

whole thing adjective + noun

In this reading “Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.”

DAY'S SPORT noun + noun counted as “day sport”

In this reading “A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.”

All words in this reading · 73

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 FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

ambitionnounUS /æmˈbɪʃən/

a cherished desire

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

animalsnounUS /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

blindnounUS /blaɪnd/

people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

From this reading Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

broughtverbUS /brɔːt/

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

CopleynounUS /ˈkɑːpli/

American painter who did portraits of Paul Revere and John Hancock before fleeing to England to avoid the American Revolution (1738-1815)

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

DAY'SnounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

equineadjectiveUS /ˈiːkwaɪn/

resembling a horse

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

FAIRadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

Fielden

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

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

foistedverbUS /ˈfɔɪstɪd/

past form of “foist” — to force onto another

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

horse-flesh

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

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

indifferentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfrənt/

marked by a lack of interest

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

intimateadjectiveUS /ˈɪntəmət/

marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

lotnounUS /lɑːt/

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

millionairenounUS /ˌmɪljəˈner/

a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

Mirst

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

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

moderateverbUS /ˈmɑːdərət/

preside over

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

ParknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

patronnounUS /ˈpeɪtrən/

a regular customer

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

racernounUS /ˈreɪsər/

someone who drives racing cars at high speeds

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

rubbishnounUS /ˈrʌbɪʃ/

worthless material that is to be disposed of

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

runverbUS /rʌn/

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

SPORTnounUS /spɔːrt/

an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/

resistant to change of position or condition

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

stud-groom

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

turfnounUS /tɜːrf/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading A FAIR DAY'S SPORT At Mirst Park there was not very much for Fielden to do.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Perhaps the whole thing was a blind.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

wonderedverbUS /ˈwʌndərd/

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading With his intimate knowledge of horse-flesh Fielden wondered why Copley kept such an indifferent stable, and where he got his animals.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading The horses he had brought with him were a moderate lot, and, in the words of the stud-groom, there was not a racer amongst them.

worseadjectiveUS /wɜːrs/

(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability

From this reading They were even worse than the ordinary run of equine rubbish usually foisted on the millionaire whose ambition it is to figure as a patron of the turf.

Chapter 16 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 16 of Hard Pressed contain?

Chapter 16 holds 122 sentences of Hard Pressed, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Hard Pressed by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 16 of Hard Pressed?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

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Yes. All 5056 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #33512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 421 minutes of reading across 1012 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Hard Pressed

Words and structures a reader meets early in Hard Pressed, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Crimson: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Blind: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Corner: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Hard Pressed; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVI

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