Chapter 8 of On Our Selection is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of On Our Selection is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Dave's Snakebite. One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door. Norah saw him first. She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea. Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
Chapter 8 of On Our Selection is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
possessive form of “anderson” — United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)
From this reading “She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.”
an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc.
From this reading “One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.”
a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)
From this reading “One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.”
English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)
From this reading “Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.”
possessive form of “sheriff” — the principal law-enforcement officer in a county
From this reading “One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.”
a bite inflicted by a (venomous) snake
From this reading “Dave's Snakebite.”
plural of “thursday” — the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading “Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.”
under normal conditions
From this reading “Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.”
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 One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
possessive form of “anderson” — United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
an officer of the court who is employed to execute writs and processes and make arrests etc.
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dave's Snakebite.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance)
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Norah saw him first.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
English actor on stage and in films (1908-1990)
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Norah saw him first.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Norah saw him first.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
above and across; more than
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
cut with a saw
From this reading Norah saw him first.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
possessive form of “sheriff” — the principal law-enforcement officer in a county
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
a bite inflicted by a (venomous) snake
From this reading Dave's Snakebite.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
plural of “thursday” — the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
under normal conditions
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was dressed up ready to go over to Mrs. Anderson's to tea.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading One hot day, as we were finishing dinner, a sheriff's bailiff rode up to the door.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading Sometimes young Harrison had tea at Anderson's--Thursdays, usually.
Chapter 8 of On Our Selection by Steele Rudd holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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.
Chapter 8 holds 149 sentences of On Our Selection, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of On Our Selection by Steele Rudd exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 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 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.
Common questions about reading On Our Selection by Steele Rudd on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3170 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3677 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3677, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 264 minutes of reading across 634 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On Our Selection section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of On Our Selection 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 On Our Selection, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
