Chapter 4 of Options is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Options is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Texas," said the red-faced man. "It was too cold in Alaska for me. And I found it warm in Texas. I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there. "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
Chapter 4 of Options is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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 state in northwestern North America; the 49th state admitted to the union
From this reading “"It was too cold in Alaska for me.”
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 “I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.”
concerning or belonging to all or at least two or more nations
From this reading “"One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.”
plural of “let” — a brutal terrorist group active in Kashmir; fights against India with the goal of restoring Islamic rule of India
From this reading “"One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.”
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading “I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.”
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading “"One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.”
the second largest state; located in southwestern United States on the Gulf of Mexico
From this reading “"Texas," said the red-faced man.”
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading “And I found it warm in Texas.”
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 morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
a state in northwestern North America; the 49th state admitted to the union
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And I found it warm in Texas.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
set up or found
From this reading And I found it warm in Texas.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
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 I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading And I found it warm in Texas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
concerning or belonging to all or at least two or more nations
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
plural of “let” — a brutal terrorist group active in Kashmir; fights against India with the goal of restoring Islamic rule of India
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Texas," said the red-faced man.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
(especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion
From this reading "Texas," said the red-faced man.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Texas," said the red-faced man.
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
express in words
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
the second largest state; located in southwestern United States on the Gulf of Mexico
From this reading "Texas," said the red-faced man.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Texas," said the red-faced man.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading And I found it warm in Texas.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It was too cold in Alaska for me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading "One morning I steps off the International at a water-tank and lets it go on without me.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I'll tell you about one hot spell I went through there.
Chapter 4 of Options by O. Henry holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 holds 198 sentences of Options, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Options by O. Henry exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 4 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 Options by O. Henry on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4204 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1583 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1583, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 350 minutes of reading across 841 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Options section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of Options 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 Options, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
