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Northern Lights, Complete
Northern Lights, Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Northern Lights, Complete is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Dan nodded.
Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.
Everything went wrong.”
And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”
It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.
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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.

Northern Lights, Complete

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Northern Lights, Complete is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Dan nodded.
Line 2
Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.
Line 3
Everything went wrong.”
/ˈevriθɪŋ went rɔːŋ/
Line 4
And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”
Line 5
It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

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.

certainty noun US /ˈsɜːrtənti/

the state of being certain

From this reading ““It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.”

company's noun US /ˈkʌmpəniz/

possessive form of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

Edmonton noun US /ˈedməntən/

the capital of the province of Alberta

From this reading ““Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.”

margin noun US /ˈmɑːrdʒən/

the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary

From this reading ““Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.”

Nick verb US /nɪk/

cut slightly, with a razor

From this reading ““Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.”

poker noun US /ˈpoʊkər/

fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire

From this reading ““Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.”

railway noun US /ˈreɪlweɪ/

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

From this reading ““And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?””

speculation noun US /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃən/

a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading ““Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.”

All words in this reading · 46

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 “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

Askatoon

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

certaintynounUS /ˈsɜːrtənti/

the state of being certain

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

company'snounUS /ˈkʌmpəniz/

possessive form of “company” — an institution created to conduct business

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

corner-blocks

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

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

Dan

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

From this reading Dan nodded.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

EdmontonnounUS /ˈedməntən/

the capital of the province of Alberta

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Everything went wrong.”

favouritenounUS /ˈfeɪvərɪt/

a competitor thought likely to win

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

fenceverbUS /fens/

enclose with a fence

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

Fison

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

Jibway

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

marginnounUS /ˈmɑːrdʒən/

the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

money-chest

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

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

NickverbUS /nɪk/

cut slightly, with a razor

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

noddedverbUS /ˈnɑːdəd/

inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding

From this reading Dan nodded.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

pokernounUS /ˈpoʊkər/

fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

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 “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

speculationnounUS /ˌspekjəˈleɪʃən/

a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading “It seemed such a dead certainty--Jibway; and the Edmonton corner-blocks, too.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Everything went wrong.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Everything went wrong.”

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes, over at Askatoon; five hundred on Jibway, the favourite--he fell at the last fence; five hundred at poker with Nick Fison; and a thousand in land speculation at Edmonton, on margin.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And so you put your hand in the railway company’s money-chest?”

Chapter 16 of Northern Lights, Complete by Gilbert Parker holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 16 of Northern Lights, Complete contain?

Chapter 16 holds 404 sentences of Northern Lights, Complete, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Northern Lights, Complete by Gilbert Parker exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 16 of Northern Lights, Complete?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Northern Lights, Complete

Common questions about reading Northern Lights, Complete by Gilbert Parker on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Northern Lights, Complete?

Yes. All 6462 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6191 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Northern Lights, Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6191, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Northern Lights, Complete take to read?

About 538 minutes of reading across 1293 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Northern Lights, Complete section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Northern Lights, Complete 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 Northern Lights, Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in Northern Lights, Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Northern
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Northern Lights, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lights
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Northern Lights, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Belongs
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Northern Lights, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Epoch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Northern Lights, Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.