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News from Nowhere
News from Nowhere

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of News from Nowhere is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
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"Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?
Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?
Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.
Or where do you house your present Parliament?"
The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

News from Nowhere

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of News from Nowhere is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?
Line 2
Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?
Line 3
Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.
/ˌɪnˈdiːd ðɪs læst ˈkwestʃən dʌz nɑːt siːm soʊ ˈveri ənˈriːznəbəl sɪns juː hæv tɜːrnd jɔːr ˈpɑːrləmənt haʊs ˈɪntuː ə dʌŋ ˈmɑːrkət/
Line 4
Or where do you house your present Parliament?"
/ɔːr wer duː juː haʊs jɔːr ˈprezənt ˈpɑːrləmənt/
Line 5
The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.
/ðə oʊld mæn ˈænsərd maɪ smaɪl wɪð ə ˈhɑːrti læf ənd sed wel wel dʌŋ ɪz nɑːt ðə wɜːrst kaɪnd ʌv kərˈʌpʃən fərˈtɪləti meɪ kʌm ʌv ðæt weˈræz mɪr dɜːrθ keɪm frʌm ðə ˈʌðər kaɪnd ʌv wɪtʃ ðoʊz wɔːlz wʌns held ðə ɡreɪt səˈpɔːrtərz/

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.

dearth noun US /dɜːrθ/

an acute insufficiency

From this reading “The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.”

democracy noun US /dɪˈmɑːkrəsi/

the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

From this reading “Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?”

dictatorship noun US /dɪkˈteɪtərʃɪp/

a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading “Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?”

dung noun US /dʌŋ/

fecal matter of animals

From this reading “Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.”

fertility noun US /fərˈtɪləti/

the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year

From this reading “The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.”

republicanism noun US /rɪˈpʌblɪkənɪzəm/

the political orientation of those who hold that a republic is the best form of government

From this reading “Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?”

supporters noun US /səˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “supporter” — a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

From this reading “The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.”

triumphed verb US /ˈtraɪəmft/

past form of “triumph” — prove superior

From this reading “Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?”

All words in this reading · 99

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 "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

askingnounUS /ˈæskɪŋ/

the verbal act of requesting

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

centurynounUS /ˈsentʃəri/

a period of 100 years

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

comeverbUS /kʌm/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

corruptionnounUS /kərˈʌpʃən/

lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

dearthnounUS /dɜːrθ/

an acute insufficiency

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

democracynounUS /dɪˈmɑːkrəsi/

the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

dictatorshipnounUS /dɪkˈteɪtərʃɪp/

a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Or where do you house your present Parliament?"

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

dryadjectiveUS /draɪ/

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

dungnounUS /dʌŋ/

fecal matter of animals

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

fertilitynounUS /fərˈtɪləti/

the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 population per year

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

finallyadverbUS /ˈfaɪnəli/

after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

foreseenverbUS /ˌfɔːrˈsiːn/

inflected form of “foresee” — realize beforehand

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

governmentnounUS /ˈɡʌvərmənt/

the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

Hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

heartyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrti/

showing warm and heartfelt friendliness

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

IndeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

laughnounUS /læf/

the sound of laughing

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

marketnounUS /ˈmɑːrkət/

the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

nill

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

nineteenthadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the eighteenth in position

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

outcomenounUS /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

ParliamentnounUS /ˈpɑːrləmənt/

a legislative assembly in certain countries

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Or where do you house your present Parliament?"

prophesyverb

predict or reveal through, or as if through, divine inspiration

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

republicanismnounUS /rɪˈpʌblɪkənɪzəm/

the political orientation of those who hold that a republic is the best form of government

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

supportersnounUS /səˈpɔːrtərz/

plural of “supporter” — a person who backs a politician or a team etc.

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

supposeverbUS /səˈpoʊz/

express a supposition

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

triumphedverbUS /ˈtraɪəmft/

past form of “triumph” — prove superior

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

ultimateadjectiveUS /ˈʌltəmət/

furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

unreasonableadjectiveUS /ənˈriːznəbəl/

not reasonable; not showing good judgment

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Has republicanism finally triumphed? or have you come to a mere dictatorship, which some persons in the nineteenth century used to prophesy as the ultimate outcome of democracy?

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Or where do you house your present Parliament?"

whereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/

in contrast with the fact that

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

worstnounUS /wɜːrst/

the least favorable outcome

From this reading The old man answered my smile with a hearty laugh, and said: "Well, well, dung is not the worst kind of corruption; fertility may come of that, whereas mere dearth came from the other kind, of which those walls once held the great supporters.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Now," said I, "I have come to the point of asking questions which I suppose will be dry for you to answer and difficult for you to explain; but I have foreseen for some time past that I must ask them, will I 'nill I. What kind of a government have you?

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Indeed, this last question does not seem so very unreasonable, since you have turned your Parliament House into a dung- market.

Chapter 11 of News from Nowhere by William Morris holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 11 of News from Nowhere contain?

Chapter 11 holds 79 sentences of News from Nowhere, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of News from Nowhere by William Morris exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 11 of News from Nowhere?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 News from Nowhere

Common questions about reading News from Nowhere by William Morris on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of News from Nowhere?

Yes. All 2621 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3261 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of News from Nowhere is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3261, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does News from Nowhere take to read?

About 218 minutes of reading across 525 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read News from Nowhere section by section

How to work through News from Nowhere section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

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    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in News from Nowhere

Words and structures a reader meets early in News from Nowhere, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

League
A word that appears in the opening chapter of News from Nowhere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of News from Nowhere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of News from Nowhere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Brisk
A word that appears in the opening chapter of News from Nowhere; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.