Chapter 16 of Old People and the Things That Pass is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Old People and the Things That Pass is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps. "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie. "You're much too early. Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun." "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
Chapter 16 of Old People and the Things That Pass is here in full — 150 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading “The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.”
a state of high honor
From this reading “"You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.”
hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface
From this reading “Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."”
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading “"That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.”
plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."”
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading “Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."”
usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence
From this reading “The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.”
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading “"You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.”
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.
In this reading “Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."”
In this reading “The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.”
In this reading “"You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
(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 Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
a state of high honor
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
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 "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "You're much too early.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
hot and dry enough to burn or parch a surface
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
possessive form of “sister” — a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
plural of “sleep” — a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
usually paved outdoor area adjoining a residence
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Nature here sleeps all through the summer under the scorching sun."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The garden was reached from the flat by a little terrace and two or three steps.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "That's one long, long love-sleep," said Lot, with his arm in his sister's.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You are too early to see it in its winter glory," said Ottilie.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're much too early.
Chapter 16 of Old People and the Things That Pass by Louis Couperus holds 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Chapter 16 holds 150 sentences of Old People and the Things That Pass, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Old People and the Things That Pass by Louis Couperus exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 150 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 30 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.
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.
Common questions about reading Old People and the Things That Pass by Louis Couperus on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6492 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48271 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48271, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 541 minutes of reading across 1299 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Old People and the Things That Pass section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 30 chapters of Old People and the Things That Pass to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Old People and the Things That Pass, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
