Chapter 9 of King Coal is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of King Coal is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.” “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself. “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us. But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts. I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
Chapter 9 of King Coal is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading “I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’”
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading “But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.”
the system of production and distribution and consumption
From this reading ““All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.”
place in proper rank
From this reading ““Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.”
plural of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading ““All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.”
the study and classification of human societies
From this reading ““No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.””
plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading ““All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.”
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading ““No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.””
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 “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
(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 “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
be compatible, similar or consistent; coincide in their characteristics
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
the system of production and distribution and consumption
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
immediately past
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
place in proper rank
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
not any; not one
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
concerned with actual use or practice
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
plural of “professor” — someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
the study and classification of human societies
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Oh, I see!” said the marshal; and he smiled in spite of himself.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to check them up.’
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading “No, it isn’t a vacation; it’s a summer-course in practical sociology.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But somehow the theories didn’t seem to correspond with the facts.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “All last year we let the professors of political economy hand out their theories to us.
Chapter 9 of King Coal by Upton Sinclair holds 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 9 holds 409 sentences of King Coal, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of King Coal by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 9 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 King Coal by Upton Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8149 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7522 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7522, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1630 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through King Coal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of King Coal 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 King Coal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
