Chapter 8 of In Search of the Unknown is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of In Search of the Unknown is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars. "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said. 'He should smoke only one every day.' "It was hard to bear. I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
Chapter 8 of In Search of the Unknown is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading “"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.”
placed crosswise
From this reading “"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.”
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading “"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.”
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading “"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.”
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading “"Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.”
plural of “taunt” — aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing
From this reading “I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.”
accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.
From this reading “I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.”
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
From this reading “I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.”
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 "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
have
From this reading "It was hard to bear.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
plural of “cigar” — a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
placed crosswise
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
recognizable; marked
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading "It was hard to bear.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It was hard to bear.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
and nothing more
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
in the near future
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
tending to return to an earlier state
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading 'He should smoke only one every day.'
plural of “taunt” — aggravation by deriding or mocking or criticizing
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge
From this reading I am not vindictive, but I decided to treasure up a few of Miss Holroyd's gentle taunts.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It was hard to bear.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "'I don't think he knows what is good for him,' she said.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "Miss Holroyd rose and crossed the hallway to her father's room, returning presently with a box of promising-looking cigars.
Chapter 8 of In Search of the Unknown by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 8 holds 440 sentences of In Search of the Unknown, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of In Search of the Unknown by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 8 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 In Search of the Unknown by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4702 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18668 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18668, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 391 minutes of reading across 941 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through In Search of the Unknown section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of In Search of the Unknown 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 In Search of the Unknown, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
