Chapter 8 of Lukundoo, and other stories is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Lukundoo, and other stories is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She regarded him, convinced. “But,” she wondered. “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?” “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.” “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
Chapter 8 of Lukundoo, and other stories is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
surprising greatly
From this reading ““Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.””
manner of acting or controlling yourself
From this reading ““Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.””
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading ““Why do you thrust this confession upon me?””
give displeasure to
From this reading ““I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.””
express the need or desire for
From this reading ““Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.””
expressing or given to expressing the truth
From this reading ““I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.””
not expected or anticipated
From this reading ““Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.””
plural of “utterance” — the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
From this reading ““Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.””
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.
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 “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
surprising greatly
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
react verbally
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
manner of acting or controlling yourself
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But,” she wondered.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
an admission of misdeeds or faults
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading She regarded him, convinced.
give displeasure to
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She regarded him, convinced.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading She regarded him, convinced.
express the need or desire for
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She regarded him, convinced.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
push forcefully
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
expressing or given to expressing the truth
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
not expected or anticipated
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
a formal word for “on”
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
plural of “utterance” — the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading “But,” she wondered.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “I fear,” he hesitated, “that a truthful answer to that question would displease you.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Why do you thrust this confession upon me?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Your behavior,” she said, “and your utterances are so unexpected and amazing to me, coming here as I have, that I must request an explanation.”
Chapter 8 of Lukundoo, and other stories by Edward Lucas White holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 8 holds 400 sentences of Lukundoo, and other stories, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Lukundoo, and other stories by Edward Lucas White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 8 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 Lukundoo, and other stories by Edward Lucas White on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75827 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75827, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 432 minutes of reading across 1038 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Lukundoo, and other stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Lukundoo, and other stories 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 Lukundoo, and other stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
