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North
North

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of North is here in full — 257 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for North
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.
Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.
Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.
Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.
“‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

North

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of North is here in full — 257 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.
Line 2
Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.
Line 3
Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.
Line 4
Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.
Line 5
“‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

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.

Burr noun US /bɜːr/

seed vessel having hooks or prickles

From this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliberately adverb US /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading “Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frozen adjective US /ˈfroʊzən/

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heaped verb US /hiːpt/

past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities

From this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
igloo noun US /ˈɪɡluː/

an Eskimo hut; usually built of blocks (of sod or snow) in the shape of a dome

From this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onto preposition US /ˈɑːntuː/

moving to a position on a surface

From this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sacks noun US /sæks/

plural of “sack” — a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

From this reading “Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wrist noun US /rɪst/

a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones

From this reading “Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

blue smoke adjective + noun

In this reading “Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.”

1,174 times in 426,211 chapters
stared at verb + particle counted as “stare at”

In this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

31,384 times in 426,211 chapters
heavy metal adjective + noun

a metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead)

In this reading “Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.”

258 times in 426,211 chapters
frozen sea adjective + noun

In this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

284 times in 426,211 chapters
upon the floor preposition + article + noun counted as “upon … floor”

In this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

7,929 times in 426,211 chapters
red gold noun + noun

In this reading “THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.”

713 times in 426,211 chapters
on the trail preposition + article + noun counted as “on … trail”

In this reading ““‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’”

4,686 times in 426,211 chapters
cloud of verb + particle

In this reading “Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.”

18,388 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 76

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 THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BesideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
blewverbUS /bluː/

inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/

placed in a grave

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BurrnounUS /bɜːr/

seed vessel having hooks or prickles

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
canvasnounUS /ˈkænvəs/

a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
caribou-skin

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

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

Pending verification
ceilingward

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

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

Pending verification
cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Colville

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Pending verification
daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emptyverbUS /ˈempti/

make void or empty of contents

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fingersnounUS /ˈfɪŋɡərz/

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/

turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GOLDnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heapedverbUS /hiːpt/

past form of “heap” — bestow in large quantities

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ice-locked

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Pending verification
igloonounUS /ˈɪɡluː/

an Eskimo hut; usually built of blocks (of sod or snow) in the shape of a dome

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MacShane

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Pending verification
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
metalnounUS /ˈmetəl/

any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
missingadjectiveUS /ˈmɪsɪŋ/

not able to be found

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ontoprepositionUS /ˈɑːntuː/

moving to a position on a surface

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pilenounUS /paɪl/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sacksnounUS /sæks/

plural of “sack” — a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
SlowlyadverbUS /ˈsloʊli/

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
squareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
staredverbUS /sterd/

past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trailnounUS /treɪl/

a track or mark left by something that has passed

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VeryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Very deliberately he blew a cloud of blue smoke ceilingward.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WaynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “‘Is it worth it?’ she asked, that day on the trail, ‘Up here we are missing--life.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Beside him were many empty caribou-skin sacks.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
windsnounUS /wɪndz/

plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WORTHnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading THE WORTH OF GOLD Way down North, where the ice-locked Colville winds its way to the frozen sea, Burr MacShane sat upon the floor of his igloo and stared at the pile of red gold he had heaped onto a square of canvas.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wristnounUS /rɪst/

a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yellow-red

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

From this reading Slowly he thrust his fingers into the yellow-red pile, working them into the heavy metal until his hand was buried to the wrist.

Pending verification

Chapter 27 of North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx holds 257 sentences, grouped into 52 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 27 of North contain?

Chapter 27 holds 257 sentences of North, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 257 sentences, grouped into 52 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 27 of North?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 North

Common questions about reading North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of North?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of North is used?

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

How long does North take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read North section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of North 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 North

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of North, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of North, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of North, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.