Moscow

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Moscow is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Frederick Whishaw • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

This man had been the spokesman.

Vera started slightly as she looked at him.

"_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XXI Reading 1/19

Moscow

Chapter XXI

Chapter 21 of Moscow is here in full — 95 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

Line 2

She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

Line 3

This man had been the spokesman.

/ðɪs mæn hæd bɪn ðə ˈspoʊksmən/

Line 4

Vera started slightly as she looked at him.

Line 5

"_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

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.

corporal noun US /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading “Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.”

dapper adjective US /ˈdæpər/

marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners

From this reading “Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.”

leisure noun US /ˈleʒər/

time available for ease and relaxation

From this reading “Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.”

likeness noun US /ˈlaɪknəs/

similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things

From this reading “"_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!”

Mon noun US /moʊn/

the second day of the week; the first working day

protectors noun US /prəˈtektərz/

plural of “protector” — a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading “Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.”

spokesman noun US /ˈspoʊksmən/

a male spokesperson

From this reading “This man had been the spokesman.”

withdrew verb US /wɪθˈdruː/

inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward

From this reading “She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.”

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.

looked at verb + particle counted as “look at”

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.”

started slightly verb + particle counted as “start slightly”

In this reading “Vera started slightly as she looked at him.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This man had been the spokesman.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

corporalnounUS /ˈkɔːrpərəl/

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

dapperadjectiveUS /ˈdæpər/

marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

dark-eyed

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

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

Dieu

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

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

examineverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmɪn/

consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

eyelashed

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

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

leisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/

time available for ease and relaxation

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

likenessnounUS /ˈlaɪknəs/

similarity in appearance or character or nature between persons or things

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading This man had been the spokesman.

MonnounUS /moʊn/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

protectorsnounUS /prəˈtektərz/

plural of “protector” — a person who cares for persons or property

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

regimentverbUS /ˈredʒəmənt/

subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

sergeantnounUS /ˈsɑːrdʒənt/

any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading Vera started slightly as she looked at him.

spokesmannounUS /ˈspoʊksmən/

a male spokesperson

From this reading This man had been the spokesman.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Vera started slightly as she looked at him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This man had been the spokesman.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

Vera

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

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "_Mon Dieu!_" she exclaimed, "what an extraordinary likeness!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Vera now had leisure to examine her protectors more closely; one was a dapper little corporal who made eyes at her as she looked at him.

withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/

inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward

From this reading She quickly withdrew her gaze and fixed it upon the other, a handsome, dark-eyed and eyelashed sergeant of a line regiment.

Chapter 21 of Moscow by Frederick Whishaw holds 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 21 of Moscow contain?

Chapter 21 holds 95 sentences of Moscow, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 21 of Moscow by Frederick Whishaw exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 95 sentences, grouped into 19 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 21 of Moscow?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 21 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 21 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 Moscow

Common questions about reading Moscow by Frederick Whishaw on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Moscow?

Yes. All 2896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42967 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Moscow is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42967, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 241 minutes of reading across 580 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Moscow

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

Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Moscow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jangling: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Moscow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sleigh-bells: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Moscow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shouting: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Moscow; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXI

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Vocabulary met early in Moscow