Chapter 5 of Mystery of the Chinese Ring is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Mystery of the Chinese Ring is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business. There was no question about that. But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle. He would make his escape if at all possible. Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
Chapter 5 of Mystery of the Chinese Ring is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
(boxing) a blow with the fist
From this reading “But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.”
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading “Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.”
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading “Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.”
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading “But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.”
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
From this reading “Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.”
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading “But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.”
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading “Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.”
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading “But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.”
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.
In this reading “There was no question about that.”
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 But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was no question about that.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
(boxing) a blow with the fist
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
engage in
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no question about that.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jack Hudson Nam Palung meant business.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
a situation from which extrication is difficult especially an unpleasant or trying one
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading There was no question about that.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was no question about that.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no question about that.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
hard to endure
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no question about that.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading Right now, though, as his mind whirled trying to think his way out of this predicament, it would be best to do exactly as he had been told.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would make his escape if at all possible.
inclined to yield to argument or influence or control
From this reading But Biff had no intention of yielding without a struggle.
Chapter 5 of Mystery of the Chinese Ring by Andy Adams holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 holds 145 sentences of Mystery of the Chinese Ring, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Mystery of the Chinese Ring by Andy Adams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 5 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 Mystery of the Chinese Ring by Andy Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4215 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51608 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #51608, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 351 minutes of reading across 843 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Mystery of the Chinese Ring section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Mystery of the Chinese Ring 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 Mystery of the Chinese Ring, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
