Chapter 17 of King Coal is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of King Coal is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother. Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing. “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward. It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.” “No, I suppose not,” said Edward, drily.
Chapter 17 of King Coal is here in full — 408 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.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.””
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading ““I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.”
only a very short time before
From this reading “It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.””
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading “Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.”
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading ““I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.””
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading “Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.”
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 Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
(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 “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.”
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
in a dry laconic manner
From this reading “No, I suppose not,” said Edward, drily.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
divisible by two
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
only a very short time before
From this reading It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.”
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
not any; not one
From this reading “No, I suppose not,” said Edward, drily.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “No, I suppose not,” said Edward, drily.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Hal stood for a few moments, looking at his brother.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading It’s a long story; I hardly know how to begin.”
express a supposition
From this reading “No, I suppose not,” said Edward, drily.
(psychology) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even in a tension as he was, he could not help laughing.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I know how all this must seem to you, Edward.
Chapter 17 of King Coal by Upton Sinclair holds 408 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 17 holds 408 sentences of King Coal, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of King Coal by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 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 17 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.
