Chapter 4 of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"He is going to open his eyes. He had better see but one of us at first." "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him." The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers. "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
Chapter 4 of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 is here in full — 166 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/33 · 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.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.”
To move from a closed position.
From this reading “"He is going to open his eyes.”
make a promise or commitment
From this reading “"Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."”
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.”
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “"I will see how he seems," replied the man.”
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading “The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.”
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading “The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.”
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.”
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 The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
the two together, not just one
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
opinion or judgment
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
the act of departing
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
To move from a closed position.
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "I will see how he seems," replied the man.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
express in words
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "He is going to open his eyes.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had better see but one of us at first."
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
possessive form of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The first voice was a man's, the second a woman's, and both spoke in whispers.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Promise me, then, that you will not tell him."
Chapter 4 of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy holds 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 4 holds 166 sentences of Looking Backward: 2000-1887, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 166 sentences, grouped into 34 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 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 34 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 4 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 Looking Backward: 2000-1887 by Edward Bellamy on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3347 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25439 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25439, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 278 minutes of reading across 670 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Looking Backward: 2000-1887 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Looking Backward: 2000-1887 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 Looking Backward: 2000-1887, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
