Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Leopold[Editor] Wagner • Curated US English Learning Edition

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(_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

WILKIE COLLINS.

"Yes," said the doctor, pressing the tips of his fingers with a tremulous firmness on my pulse, and looking straight forward into the pupils of my eyes, "yes, I see: the symptoms all point unmistakeably towards one conclusion--Brain.

My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter III Reading 1/77

Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse Leopold[Editor] Wagner

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

(_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.) A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING. WILKIE COLLINS. "Yes," said the doctor, pressing the tips of his fingers with a tremulous firmness on my pulse, and looking straight forward into the pupils of my eyes, "yes, I see: the symptoms all point unmistakeably towards one conclusion--Brain. My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

(_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

/frʌm ˈtempəl bɑːr baɪ pərˈmɪʃən ʌv ðə ˈedətər/

Line 2

A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

/ə ˈdʒɜːrni ɪn sɜːrtʃ ʌv ˈnʌθɪŋ/

Line 3

WILKIE COLLINS.

Line 4

Line 5

My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

/maɪ dɪr sɜːr juː hæv bɪn ˈwɜːrkɪŋ tuː hɑːrd juː hæv bɪn ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ ðə ˈdeɪndʒərəs ɪɡˈzæmpəl ʌv ðə rest ʌv ðə wɜːrld ɪn ðɪs eɪdʒ ʌv ˈbɪznəs ənd ˈbʌsəl/

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.

bustle noun US /ˈbʌsəl/

a rapid active commotion

From this reading “My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.”

collins noun US /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading “WILKIE COLLINS.”

firmness noun US /ˈfɜːrmnəs/

the muscle tone of healthy tissue

From this reading “"Yes," said the doctor, pressing the tips of his fingers with a tremulous firmness on my pulse, and looking straight forward into the pupils of my eyes, "yes, I see: the symptoms all point unmistakeably towards one conclusion--Brain.”

pulse noun US /pʌls/

(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

pupils noun US /ˈpjuːpəlz/

plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

symptoms noun US /ˈsɪmptəmz/

plural of “symptom” — (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

tips noun US /tɪps/

plural of “tip” — the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

tremulous adjective US /ˈtremjələs/

(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear

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.

dear sir adjective + noun

In this reading “My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.”

too hard adverb + adjective

In this reading “My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.”

rest of verb + particle

In this reading “My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.”

SEARCH OF verb + particle

In this reading “A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

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 "Yes," said the doctor, pressing the tips of his fingers with a tremulous firmness on my pulse, and looking straight forward into the pupils of my eyes, "yes, I see: the symptoms all point unmistakeably towards one conclusion--Brain.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

BARnounUS /bɑːr/

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

BrainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/

a rapid active commotion

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

COLLINSnounUS /ˈkɑːlɪnz/

English writer noted for early detective novels (1824-1889)

From this reading WILKIE COLLINS.

conclusionnounUS /kənˈkluːʒən/

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

dangerousadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

EditornounUS /ˈedətər/

a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

examplenounUS /ɪɡˈzæmpəl/

an item of information that is typical of a class or group

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

firmnessnounUS /ˈfɜːrmnəs/

the muscle tone of healthy tissue

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

JOURNEYverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

NOTHINGpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

permissionnounUS /pərˈmɪʃən/

approval to do something

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/

the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure

pulsenounUS /pʌls/

(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

pupilsnounUS /ˈpjuːpəlz/

plural of “pupil” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

SEARCHverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading A JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF NOTHING.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

sirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

straightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

symptomsnounUS /ˈsɪmptəmz/

plural of “symptom” — (medicine) any sensation or change in bodily function that is experienced by a patient and is associated with a particular disease

TEMPLEnounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading (_From_ "TEMPLE BAR," _by permission of the Editor_.)

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

tipsnounUS /tɪps/

plural of “tip” — the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

tremulousadjectiveUS /ˈtremjələs/

(of the voice) quivering as from weakness or fear

unmistakeably

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

WILKIE

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

From this reading WILKIE COLLINS.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading My dear sir, you have been working too hard; you have been following the dangerous example of the rest of the world in this age of business and bustle.

Chapter 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse by Leopold[Editor] Wagner holds 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse contain?

Chapter 3 holds 389 sentences of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse by Leopold[Editor] Wagner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 389 sentences, grouped into 78 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 3 of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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.

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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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #36775, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Humorous: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Humorous Readings and Recitations, in Prose and Verse; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter III

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