Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Opening a Chestnut Burr
Opening a Chestnut Burr

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr is here in full — 527 sentences across 106 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Opening a Chestnut Burr
Context Illustration Reading 1/105 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"LIVE!
LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.
It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.
Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.
The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Opening a Chestnut Burr

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr is here in full — 527 sentences across 106 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/105 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"LIVE!
/laɪv/
Line 2
LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.
Line 3
It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.
/ɪt wɑːz ðə riˈækʃən frʌm ðə diːp ənd pəˈkjuːljər ɪkˈsaɪtmənt ʌv ðə læst fjuː deɪz/
Line 4
Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.
/ˈevəri ˈpaʊər ʌv maɪnd ənd ˈbɑːdi hæd bɪn ˈʌndər ðə səˈvɪrəst streɪn ənd ˈneɪtʃər naʊ ɡeɪv weɪ/
Line 5
The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.
/ðə ˈdɑːktər wen hiː keɪm tuː meɪk hɪz ˈmɔːrnɪŋ kɔːl wɑːz moʊst ˈwelkəm/

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.

alarmed adjective US /əˈlɑːrmd/

experiencing a sudden sense of danger

From this reading “LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.”

appeal verb US /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading “LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.”

Hunting noun US /ˈhʌntɪŋ/

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading “LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.”

prolonged adjective US /prəˈlɔːŋd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading “LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.”

reaction noun US /riˈækʃən/

(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others

From this reading “It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.”

severest adjective US /səˈvɪrəst/

superlative of “severe” — intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading “Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.”

strain noun US /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading “Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.”

swoon verb US /swuːn/

pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading “LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

alarmedadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmd/

experiencing a sudden sense of danger

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

ANNIE'S

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

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

APPEALverbUS /əˈpiːl/

take a court case to a higher court for review

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

auntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

excitementnounUS /ɪkˈsaɪtmənt/

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

HuntingnounUS /ˈhʌntɪŋ/

the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

LIVEverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading "LIVE!

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

prolongedadjectiveUS /prəˈlɔːŋd/

relatively long in duration; tediously protracted

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

reactionnounUS /riˈækʃən/

(chemistry) a process in which one or more substances are changed into others

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

severestadjectiveUS /səˈvɪrəst/

superlative of “severe” — intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

strainnounUS /streɪn/

(physics) deformation of a physical body under the action of applied forces

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

swoonverbUS /swuːn/

pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was the reaction from the deep and peculiar excitement of the last few days.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Every power of mind and body had been under the severest strain, and nature now gave way.

welcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/

accept gladly

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading LIVE!"--ANNIE'S APPEAL Annie's swoon was so prolonged that both her aunt and Hunting were alarmed.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The doctor, when he came to make his morning call, was most welcome.

Chapter 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr by Edward Payson Roe holds 527 sentences, grouped into 106 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 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr contain?

Chapter 30 holds 527 sentences of Opening a Chestnut Burr, unabridged, divided into 106 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr by Edward Payson Roe exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 527 sentences, grouped into 106 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 30 of Opening a Chestnut Burr?

Work through the 106 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 106 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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 Opening a Chestnut Burr

Common questions about reading Opening a Chestnut Burr by Edward Payson Roe on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Opening a Chestnut Burr?

Yes. All 7051 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6028 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Opening a Chestnut Burr is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6028, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Opening a Chestnut Burr take to read?

About 587 minutes of reading across 1411 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Opening a Chestnut Burr section by section

How to work through Opening a Chestnut Burr section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of Opening a Chestnut Burr 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 Opening a Chestnut Burr

Words and structures a reader meets early in Opening a Chestnut Burr, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Reader
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opening a Chestnut Burr; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Imagine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opening a Chestnut Burr; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Visiting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opening a Chestnut Burr; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grave
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Opening a Chestnut Burr; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.