Chapter 9 of On the Heights: A Novel is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of On the Heights: A Novel is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
(IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.) "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday. I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill. I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking. I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
Chapter 9 of On the Heights: A Novel is here in full — 500 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/100 · 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.
a mound of earth made by ants as they dig their nest
From this reading “I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.”
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading “I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.”
German composer of instrumental music (especially symphonic and chamber music); continued to compose after he lost his hearing (1770-1827)
From this reading “I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.”
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading “I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.”
a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
From this reading “I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.”
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading “I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.”
deliver by singing
From this reading “I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.”
the day immediately before today
From this reading “"Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.”
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 “I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.”
In this reading “I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.”
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 I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
(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 "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
a mound of earth made by ants as they dig their nest
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
plural of “ant” — social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
German composer of instrumental music (especially symphonic and chamber music); continued to compose after he lost his hearing (1770-1827)
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.)
divisible by two
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading (IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.)
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading (IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.)
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading (IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.)
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
the literary culture
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
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 I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
in motion
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
not any; not one
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
participate in games or sport
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
cut with a saw
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
deliver by singing
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading I wanted to play, but even Beethoven seemed strange, and I lay for hours, dreaming.
express in words
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading (IRMA TO HER FRIEND EMMA.)
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I wanted to sing, but no song was to my liking.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading I wanted to read--I saw the letters but could not read a word, for they all seemed to be moving about the page, like so many ants in an anthill.
the day immediately before today
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Let me tell you all that I did yesterday.
Chapter 9 of On the Heights: A Novel by Berthold Auerbach holds 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 9 holds 500 sentences of On the Heights: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of On the Heights: A Novel by Berthold Auerbach exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 500 sentences, grouped into 100 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 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 100 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 9 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 the Heights: A Novel by Berthold Auerbach on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 19291 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33294, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 3859 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On the Heights: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of On the Heights: A Novel 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 the Heights: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
