Chapter 5 of Letters to Helen is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Letters to Helen is here in full — 389 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
That's the sort of thing. Things that _must_ be done and quickly. Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map. But maps are like lamps to men in the dark. And they must be accurate.
Chapter 5 of Letters to Helen 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
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.
conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy
From this reading “And they must be accurate.”
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading “Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.”
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.”
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading “Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.”
plural of “map” — a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
From this reading “But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.”
being nothing more than specified
From this reading “Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.”
with speed
From this reading “Things that _must_ be done and quickly.”
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.”
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 Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
conforming exactly or almost exactly to fact or to a standard or performing with total accuracy
From this reading And they must be accurate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
plural of “map” — a diagrammatic representation of the earth's surface (or part of it)
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
the force of workers available
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading That's the sort of thing.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
with speed
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading That's the sort of thing.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Perhaps it sounds nothing much--a mere bit of a map.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's the sort of thing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading That's the sort of thing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And they must be accurate.
a special situation
From this reading That's the sort of thing.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Things that _must_ be done and quickly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But maps are like lamps to men in the dark.
Chapter 5 of Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson 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.
Chapter 5 holds 389 sentences of Letters to Helen, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Letters to Helen by Keith Henderson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2061 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16626 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16626, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 171 minutes of reading across 413 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Letters to Helen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Letters to Helen 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 Letters to Helen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
