Chapter 32 of Out of the Primitive is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXII
Chapter 32 of Out of the Primitive is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge. Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab. "Stop her!" he shouted. The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith. He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
Chapter 32 of Out of the Primitive is here in full — 127 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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 bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
From this reading “ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.”
the act of providing approval and support
From this reading “ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.”
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading “Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.”
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading “Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.”
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading “Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.”
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading “He recognized the engineer at the first glance.”
United States film maker who was the first to use flashbacks and fade-outs (1875-1948)
From this reading “The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.”
filled with a great quantity
From this reading “ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.”
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 ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
the act of providing approval and support
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
United States film maker who was the first to use flashbacks and fade-outs (1875-1948)
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Stop her!" he shouted.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "Stop her!" he shouted.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
filled with a great quantity
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
the force of workers available
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading He recognized the engineer at the first glance.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Stop her!" he shouted.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading "Stop her!" he shouted.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
create by training and teaching
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Blake ran down the track to the engine and swung up into the cab.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
which person or people
From this reading The engine-driver was among the men who had been introduced to Blake on his visit with Griffith.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ABOVE THE ABYSS A train loaded with steel was backing out to the bridge.
Chapter 32 of Out of the Primitive by Robert Ames Bennet holds 127 sentences, grouped into 26 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 32 holds 127 sentences of Out of the Primitive, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 32 of Out of the Primitive by Robert Ames Bennet exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 127 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 32 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 Out of the Primitive by Robert Ames Bennet on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8075 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6116 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6116, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1615 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Out of the Primitive section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of Out of the Primitive 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 Out of the Primitive, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
