Chapter 5 of Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy. The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand. So I inform myself in the matter of those around me. "You want to see the greasers' work? Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
Chapter 5 of Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading “A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.”
impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to
From this reading “So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.”
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading “The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.”
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading “The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.”
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.”
plural of “raise” — the amount a salary is increased
From this reading “The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.”
try to get or reach
From this reading “The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.”
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading “A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.”
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 A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
(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 A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You want to see the greasers' work?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
plural of “raise” — the amount a salary is increased
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You want to see the greasers' work?
try to get or reach
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Here I am," said Marcassin, surnamed Pétrolus.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading So I inform myself in the matter of those around me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "You want to see the greasers' work?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The toiler's lot, moreover, raises interesting problems, which one should seek to understand.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "You want to see the greasers' work?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A VOICE IN THE EVENING I approached the workpeople with all possible sympathy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You want to see the greasers' work?
Chapter 5 of Light by Henri Barbusse holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 106 sentences of Light, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Light by Henri Barbusse exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Light by Henri Barbusse on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12904 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #12904, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 443 minutes of reading across 1065 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Light section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Light 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 Light, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
