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Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Nathaniel Parker Willis
Context Illustration Reading 1/81 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
1831-1834.
LIFE ABROAD.
Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.
Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.
As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nathaniel Parker Willis

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
1831-1834.
Line 2
LIFE ABROAD.
/laɪf əˈbrɔːd/
Line 3
Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.
/ˌwʌˈtevər meɪ hæv bɪn ðə ɪˈfekt ʌv ˈwɪlɪsɪz kərˈɪr ɪn ˈjʊrəp əˈpɑːn hɪz ˈkerɪktər ɪts ˈɪnfluːəns ɑːn hɪz ˈlɪtəreri ˈfɔːrtʃənz wɑːz moʊst prəˈpɪʃəs/
Line 4
Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.
/ˈfɔːrən ˈtrævəl ˈfɜːrnɪʃt dʒʌst ðə ˈstɪmjələs ðæt hiː ˈwɔːntɪd/
Line 5
As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.
/æz ə ˈraɪtər hiː wɑːz æt ɔːl taɪmz ˈveri dɪˈpendənt ɑːn hɪz səˈplaɪz/

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.

dependent adjective US /dɪˈpendənt/

relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed

From this reading “As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.”

fortunes noun US /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading “Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.”

furnished adjective US /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading “Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.”

propitious adjective US /prəˈpɪʃəs/

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success

From this reading “Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.”

stimulus noun US /ˈstɪmjələs/

any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action

From this reading “Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.”

supplies noun US /səˈplaɪz/

plural of “supply” — an amount of something available for use

From this reading “As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.”

Willis's noun US /ˈwɪlɪsɪz/

possessive form of “willis” — English physician who was a pioneer in the study of the brain (1621-1675)

writer noun US /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.”

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.

all times adjective + noun

In this reading “As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.”

All words in this reading · 43

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.

1831

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

From this reading 1831-1834.

1834

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

From this reading 1831-1834.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

ABROADadverbUS /əˈbrɔːd/

to or in a foreign country

From this reading LIFE ABROAD.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

careernounUS /kərˈɪr/

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

characternounUS /ˈkerɪktər/

an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

dependentadjectiveUS /dɪˈpendənt/

relying on or requiring a person or thing for support, supply, or what is needed

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

EuropenounUS /ˈjʊrəp/

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

ForeignadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrən/

of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

fortunesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənz/

plural of “fortune” — an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

furnishedadjectiveUS /ˈfɜːrnɪʃt/

provided with whatever is necessary for a purpose (as furniture or equipment or authority)

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

LIFEnounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading LIFE ABROAD.

literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

propitiousadjectiveUS /prəˈpɪʃəs/

presenting favorable circumstances; likely to result in or show signs of success

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

stimulusnounUS /ˈstɪmjələs/

any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

suppliesnounUS /səˈplaɪz/

plural of “supply” — an amount of something available for use

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

travelverbUS /ˈtrævəl/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Foreign travel furnished just the stimulus that he wanted.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

WhateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

Willis'snounUS /ˈwɪlɪsɪz/

possessive form of “willis” — English physician who was a pioneer in the study of the brain (1621-1675)

From this reading Whatever may have been the effect of Willis’s career in Europe upon his character, its influence on his literary fortunes was most propitious.

writernounUS /ˈraɪtər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading As a writer he was at all times very dependent on his supplies.

Chapter 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis contain?

Chapter 4 holds 406 sentences of Nathaniel Parker Willis, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 4 of Nathaniel Parker Willis?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Nathaniel Parker Willis

Common questions about reading Nathaniel Parker Willis by Henry A. (Henry Augustin) Beers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Nathaniel Parker Willis?

Yes. All 2703 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53876 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Nathaniel Parker Willis is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #53876, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Nathaniel Parker Willis take to read?

About 225 minutes of reading across 541 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Nathaniel Parker Willis section by section

How to work through Nathaniel Parker Willis section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Nathaniel Parker Willis 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 Nathaniel Parker Willis

Words and structures a reader meets early in Nathaniel Parker Willis, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Https
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nathaniel Parker Willis; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Charles
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nathaniel Parker Willis; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dudley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nathaniel Parker Willis; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Warner
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nathaniel Parker Willis; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.