Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy
Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy
Context Illustration Reading 1/43 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MENDOZA.
I wish you could persuade her to think so.
STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.
Sit down again and be friendly.
A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MENDOZA.
Line 2
I wish you could persuade her to think so.
/aɪ wɪʃ juː kʊd pərˈsweɪd hɜːr tuː θɪŋk soʊ/
Line 3
STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.
Line 4
Sit down again and be friendly.
/sɪt daʊn əˈɡen ənd biː ˈfrendli/
Line 5
A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

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.

cat noun US /kæt/

feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading “A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.”

exasperated adjective US /ɪɡˈzæspəreɪtɪd/

greatly annoyed; out of patience

From this reading “STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.”

friendly adjective US /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading “Sit down again and be friendly.”

League noun US /liːɡ/

an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members

From this reading “STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.”

persuade verb US /pərˈsweɪd/

win approval or support for

From this reading “I wish you could persuade her to think so.”

President noun US /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading “STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.”

Sierra noun US /siˈerə/

a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading “STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.”

tanner noun US /ˈtænər/

a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970

From this reading “STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Sit down again and be friendly.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Sit down again and be friendly.

brigands

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

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

can't

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

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

catnounUS /kæt/

feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Sit down again and be friendly.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

exasperatedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzæspəreɪtɪd/

greatly annoyed; out of patience

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

fightverbUS /faɪt/

be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

friendlyadjectiveUS /ˈfrendli/

characteristic of or befitting a friend

From this reading Sit down again and be friendly.

HenrynounUS /ˈhenri/

a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

interposing

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

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

kingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

LeaguenounUS /liːɡ/

an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

MENDOZA

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

From this reading MENDOZA.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

persuadeverbUS /pərˈsweɪd/

win approval or support for

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

PresidentnounUS /ˈprezədent/

an executive officer of a firm or corporation

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

risingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪzɪŋ/

advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

SierranounUS /siˈerə/

a range of mountains (usually with jagged peaks and irregular outline)

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

sisternounUS /ˈsɪstər/

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

SitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading Sit down again and be friendly.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

STRAKER

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

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

TANNERnounUS /ˈtænər/

a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading STRAKER. [exasperated] Here-- TANNER. [rising quickly and interposing] Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can't fight the whole League of the Sierra.

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I wish you could persuade her to think so.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister.

Chapter 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy by Bernard Shaw holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy contain?

Chapter 14 holds 216 sentences of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy by Bernard Shaw exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Common questions about reading Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy by Bernard Shaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy?

Yes. All 4820 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3328 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3328, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy take to read?

About 401 minutes of reading across 964 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy section by section

How to work through Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 22 chapters of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy to begin.

  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 Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Asked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Write
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Levity
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Assumed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Man and Superman: A Comedy and a Philosophy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.