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None Other Gods
None Other Gods

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of None Other Gods is here in full — 535 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/107 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
(I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.
It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.
It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.
It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.
It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.
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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.

None Other Gods

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of None Other Gods is here in full — 535 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/107 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
(I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.
Line 2
It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.
Line 3
It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.
/ɪt ɪz ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈhoʊli æn ˌæɡrəˈkʌltʃərəl taʊn ənd hæz ə ˈkjʊriəs hʌmpt brɪdʒ raɪt ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv ðə taʊn wer men stænd əˈbaʊt ɑːn ˈmɑːrkət deɪz ənd dɪˈskʌs ðə praɪs ʌv ˈbʊləks/
Line 4
It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.
Line 5
It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.
/ɪt wɑːz θɔːt ekˈstriːmli ˈbjuːtəfəl wen ɪt wɑːz bɪlt ˈfɔːrti jɪrz əˈɡoʊ/

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.

agricultural adjective US /ˌæɡrəˈkʌltʃərəl/

relating to or used in or promoting agriculture or farming

From this reading “It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.”

amazingly adverb US /əˈmeɪzɪŋli/

in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise

From this reading “It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.”

bullocks noun US /ˈbʊləks/

plural of “bullock” — young bull

From this reading “It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.”

emerges verb US /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz/

third-person singular of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading “(I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.”

humped adjective US /hʌmpt/

characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column

From this reading “It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.”

precipitous adjective US /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/

done with very great haste and without due deliberation

From this reading “It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.”

rectangular adjective US /rekˈtæŋɡjələr/

having four right angles

From this reading “It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.”

Yorkshire noun US /ˈjɔːrkʃər/

a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties

From this reading “(I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.”

All words in this reading · 106

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 (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

agriculturaladjectiveUS /ˌæɡrəˈkʌltʃərəl/

relating to or used in or promoting agriculture or farming

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

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 (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

amazinglyadverbUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋli/

in an amazing manner; to everyone's surprise

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

Barham

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

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

builtadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

bullocksnounUS /ˈbʊləks/

plural of “bullock” — young bull

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

burstingverbUS /ˈbɜːrstɪŋ/

-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

churchesnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/

plural of “church” — one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

churchyardnounUS /ˈtʃɜːrtʃjɑːrd/

the yard associated with a church

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

discussverbUS /dɪˈskʌs/

to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

disusedadjective

no longer in use

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

emergesverbUS /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪz/

third-person singular of “emerge” — come out into view, as from concealment

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

flatterverbUS /ˈflætər/

praise somewhat dishonestly

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

footnounUS /fʊt/

the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/

being ten more than thirty

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

generationnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃən/

all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

GothicadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːθɪk/

characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

Harrogate

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

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

hideousadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdiəs/

grossly offensive to decency or morality; causing horror

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

hillsnounUS /hɪlz/

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

humpedadjectiveUS /hʌmpt/

characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

irregularadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈreɡjələr/

contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

Kirkbys

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

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

liesnounUS /laɪz/

plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

literallyadverbUS /ˈlɪtərəli/

in a literal sense

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

marketnounUS /ˈmɑːrkət/

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

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

moorsnounUS /mʊrz/

plural of “moor” — one of the Muslim people of north Africa; of mixed Arab and Berber descent; converted to Islam in the 8th century; conqueror of Spain in the 8th century

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

nowherenounUS /ˈnoʊwer/

an insignificant place

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

pompousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːmpəs/

puffed up with vanity

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

precipitousadjectiveUS /prɪˈsɪpɪtəs/

done with very great haste and without due deliberation

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

pricenounUS /praɪs/

the property of having material worth (often indicated by the amount of money something would bring if sold)

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

rectangularadjectiveUS /rekˈtæŋɡjələr/

having four right angles

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/

lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

shamnounUS /ʃæm/

something that is a counterfeit; not what it seems to be

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

spurnounUS /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/

confined on all sides

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

tombsnounUS /tuːmz/

plural of “tomb” — a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

valleynounUS /ˈvæli/

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

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 It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It has a railway all to itself, which goes no further, for Barham is shut in on the north by tall hills and moors, and lies on the way to nowhere.

whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading It is almost wholly an agricultural town, and has a curious humped bridge, right in the middle of the town, where men stand about on market days and discuss the price of bullocks.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It has two churches--one, disused, on a precipitous spur above the town, surrounded by an amazingly irregular sort of churchyard, full, literally, to bursting (the Kirkbys lie there, generation after generation of them, beneath pompous tombs), and the other church a hideous rectangular building, with flat walls and shallow, sham Gothic windows.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading It was thought extremely beautiful when it was built forty years ago.

YorkshirenounUS /ˈjɔːrkʃər/

a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties

From this reading (I) Barham, as all Yorkshire knows, lies at the foot of a long valley, where it emerges into the flatter district round Harrogate.

Chapter 8 of None Other Gods by Robert Hugh Benson holds 535 sentences, grouped into 107 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 8 of None Other Gods contain?

Chapter 8 holds 535 sentences of None Other Gods, unabridged, divided into 107 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of None Other Gods by Robert Hugh Benson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 535 sentences, grouped into 107 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 8 of None Other Gods?

Work through the 107 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 107 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 None Other Gods

Common questions about reading None Other Gods by Robert Hugh Benson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of None Other Gods?

Yes. All 5978 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17627 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of None Other Gods is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #17627, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does None Other Gods take to read?

About 498 minutes of reading across 1196 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read None Other Gods section by section

How to work through None Other Gods section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of None Other Gods 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 None Other Gods

Words and structures a reader meets early in None Other Gods, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of None Other Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
You're
A word that appears in the opening chapter of None Other Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Behaving
A word that appears in the opening chapter of None Other Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Absolute
A word that appears in the opening chapter of None Other Gods; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.