Chapter 5 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first. He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders. He was rejuvenated and buoyant. He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job. He had told Carleton that he would make good.
Chapter 5 of On the Iron at Big Cloud is here in full — 432 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/86 · 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.
tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
From this reading “He was rejuvenated and buoyant.”
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading “He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.”
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading “Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.”
the courage to carry on
From this reading “He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.”
not worth considering
From this reading “He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.”
past form of “rejuvenate” — cause (a stream or river) to erode, as by an uplift of the land
From this reading “He was rejuvenated and buoyant.”
having been made square
From this reading “He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.”
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading “He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.”
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.
act as promised
In this reading “He had told Carleton that he would make good.”
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 He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
tending to float on a liquid or rise in air or gas
From this reading He was rejuvenated and buoyant.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
the process of giving careful thought to something
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
an opening that permits escape or release
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
engage in
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
the courage to carry on
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
not worth considering
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He was on his mettle--quite another matter, entirely another matter, and distinctly apart from the paltry consideration of a mere job.
past form of “rejuvenate” — cause (a stream or river) to erode, as by an uplift of the land
From this reading He was rejuvenated and buoyant.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
having been made square
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
put down or press the foot, place the foot
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Shanley’s second exit from the super’s presence was different from the first.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He walked out with a firm tread and squared shoulders.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had told Carleton that he would make good.
Chapter 5 of On the Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 5 holds 432 sentences of On the Iron at Big Cloud, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of On the Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 432 sentences, grouped into 87 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 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 87 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 5 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 Iron at Big Cloud by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5491 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54111 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54111, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 457 minutes of reading across 1099 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through On the Iron at Big Cloud section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of On the Iron at Big Cloud 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 Iron at Big Cloud, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
