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Loaded Dice
Loaded Dice

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Loaded Dice is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.
Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.
"No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.
I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."
May Sinclair smiled.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Loaded Dice

Chapter IX

Chapter 9 of Loaded Dice is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.
Line 2
Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.
/ðen wɪð ə læf ənd ə ʃeɪk ʌv hɪz hed hiː θrʌst ɪt bæk ˈɪntuː hɪz ˈpɑːkət əˈɡen/
Line 3
"No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.
Line 4
I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."
Line 5
May Sinclair smiled.
/meɪ sɪnˈkler smaɪld/

Learner Dictionary

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.

chimed verb US /tʃaɪmd/

past form of “chime” — emit a sound

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

clock's noun US /klɑːks/

possessive form of “clock” — a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading “"No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.”

confirmation noun US /ˌkɑːnfərˈmeɪʃən/

additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

mantel noun US /ˈmæntəl/

shelf that projects from wall above fireplace

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

musically adverb US /ˈmjuːzɪkli/

in a musical manner

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

palmer noun US /ˈpɑːmər/

United States golfer (born in 1929)

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

significantly adverb US /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/

in a statistically significant way

From this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

Sinclair noun US /sɪnˈkler/

United States writer whose novels argued for social reform (1878-1968)

From this reading “May Sinclair smiled.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

on the mantel preposition + article + noun counted as “on … mantel”

In this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

lost track adjective + noun

In this reading “"No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.”

for confirmation preposition + noun

In this reading “PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.”

with a laugh preposition + article + noun counted as “with … laugh”

In this reading “Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.”

shake of verb + particle

In this reading “Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.”

All words in this reading · 67

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

blameverbUS /bleɪm/

put or pin the blame on

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

chimedverbUS /tʃaɪmd/

past form of “chime” — emit a sound

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

clocknounUS /klɑːk/

a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

clock'snounUS /klɑːks/

possessive form of “clock” — a timepiece that shows the time of day

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

confirmationnounUS /ˌkɑːnfərˈmeɪʃən/

additional proof that something that was believed (some fact or hypothesis or theory) is correct

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

doesn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

EightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

faultnounUS /fɔːlt/

a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

HASauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

I'll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

I've

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

jumpedverbUS /dʒʌmpt/

past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

mantelnounUS /ˈmæntəl/

shelf that projects from wall above fireplace

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

Maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

musicallyadverbUS /ˈmjuːzɪkli/

in a musical manner

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

PALMERnounUS /ˈpɑːmər/

United States golfer (born in 1929)

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

pocketnounUS /ˈpɑːkət/

a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

pullingnounUS /ˈpʊlɪŋ/

the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

shakeverbUS /ʃeɪk/

move or cause to move back and forth

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

significantlyadverbUS /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/

in a statistically significant way

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

SinclairnounUS /sɪnˈkler/

United States writer whose novels argued for social reform (1878-1968)

From this reading May Sinclair smiled.

smiledverbUS /smaɪld/

past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading May Sinclair smiled.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

somewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

tracknounUS /træk/

a line or route along which something travels or moves

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

usenounUS /juːs/

the act of using

From this reading "No use, May," he said; "I've lost track of an hour somewhere, and it doesn't seem to be the clock's fault.

VISITORnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading PALMER HAS A VISITOR Eight--nine--ten--eleven-- The little clock on the mantel chimed the hour musically and significantly, and Palmer jumped quickly to his feet, pulling out his watch as he did so for confirmation.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then, with a laugh and a shake of his head, he thrust it back into his pocket again.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I suppose I'll have to blame you instead."

Chapter 9 of Loaded Dice by Ellery H. (Ellery Harding) Clark holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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.

What does chapter 9 of Loaded Dice contain?

Chapter 9 holds 159 sentences of Loaded Dice, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Loaded Dice by Ellery H. (Ellery Harding) Clark exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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.

How do I study chapter 9 of Loaded Dice?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Loaded Dice

Common questions about reading Loaded Dice by Ellery H. (Ellery Harding) Clark on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Loaded Dice?

Yes. All 4371 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38474 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Loaded Dice is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38474, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Loaded Dice take to read?

About 364 minutes of reading across 875 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Loaded Dice section by section

How to work through Loaded Dice section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Loaded Dice

Words and structures a reader meets early in Loaded Dice, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Press
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Loaded Dice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Braunworth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Loaded Dice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Bookbinders
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Loaded Dice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Loaded Dice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.