Chapter 12 of Idle Ideas in 1905 is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Idle Ideas in 1905 is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“What is he doing there?” I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone. Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box. “How do I know? How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?
Chapter 12 of Idle Ideas in 1905 is here in full — 206 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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.
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading “I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.”
having authority or ascendancy or influence
From this reading “I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.”
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading “I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.”
by chance
From this reading “How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?”
by reasonable assumption
From this reading “Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.”
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.”
without awareness
From this reading “I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
having authority or ascendancy or influence
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “How do I know?
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading “What is he doing there?”
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “What is he doing there?”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How do I know?
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What is he doing there?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “How do I know?
to a great degree or extent
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
by chance
From this reading How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?
by reasonable assumption
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
express in words
From this reading How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “What is he doing there?”
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
without awareness
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading I had become so much in earnest that my voice had assumed unconsciously an authoritative tone.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What is he doing there?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Presumably, it hypnotised her, for she answered my questions as though she had been in the witness-box.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading How can I possibly tell you what he is doing?
Chapter 12 of Idle Ideas in 1905 by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome holds 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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 12 holds 206 sentences of Idle Ideas in 1905, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Idle Ideas in 1905 by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 206 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 12 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 Idle Ideas in 1905 by Jerome K. (Jerome Klapka) Jerome on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3270 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3140 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3140, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 272 minutes of reading across 654 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Idle Ideas in 1905 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Idle Ideas in 1905 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 Idle Ideas in 1905, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
