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"Persons Unknown"
"Persons Unknown"

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for "Persons Unknown"
Context Illustration Reading 1/65 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.
Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.
If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.
The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.
But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

"Persons Unknown"

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of "Persons Unknown" is here in full — 329 sentences across 66 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/65 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.
Line 2
Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.
/ðer hoʊp wɑːz soʊ ˈkruːəl ðæt ɪt maɪt hæv bɪn fɪr ˌɪnˈsted/
Line 3
If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.
/ɪf frʌm ðə wɜːrld ʌv riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti ðə ɡɜːrlz neɪm ˈpenətreɪtɪd tuː hɪm wɪð ˈeni ˈmiːnɪŋ hiː ɡeɪv noʊ saɪn/
Line 4
The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.
/ðə seɪm ˈænəməl ˌkɑːnsənˈtreɪʃən əˈboʊd ɪn hɪz kloʊs ster/
Line 5
But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.
/bʌt ðə nuː æŋˈzaɪəti æt wʌns əˈfektɪd ðə ˈmiːtɪŋ/

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.

abode noun US /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.”

concentration noun US /ˌkɑːnsənˈtreɪʃən/

the strength of a solution; number of molecules of a substance in a given volume

From this reading “The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.”

girl's noun US /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading “If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.”

penetrated verb US /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/

past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading “If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.”

responsibility noun US /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading “If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.”

sicilian noun US /sɪˈsɪliən/

a resident of Sicily

From this reading “THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.”

stare verb US /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading “The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.”

traitor noun US /ˈtreɪtər/

someone who betrays his country by committing treason

From this reading “THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.”

All words in this reading · 59

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.

abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

affectedadjectiveUS /əˈfektɪd/

acted upon; influenced

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

anxietynounUS /æŋˈzaɪəti/

(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

CHOOSEverbUS /tʃuːz/

pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

concentrationnounUS /ˌkɑːnsənˈtreɪʃən/

the strength of a solution; number of molecules of a substance in a given volume

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

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

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

girl'snounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading But the new anxiety at once affected the meeting.

Parmesan's

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

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/

past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

prisonernounUS /ˈprɪzənər/

a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

responsibilitynounUS /riˌspɑːnsəˈbɪləti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

SICILIANnounUS /sɪˈsɪliən/

a resident of Sicily

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

stareverbUS /ster/

look at with fixed eyes

From this reading The same animal concentration abode in his close stare.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

THATconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

TheirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

TRAITORnounUS /ˈtreɪtər/

someone who betrays his country by committing treason

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

VIEWnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Their hope was so cruel that it might have been fear, instead.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading If, from the world of responsibility, the girl's name penetrated to him with any meaning he gave no sign.

YOUpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE SICILIAN TRAITOR: "YOU THAT CHOOSE NOT BY THE VIEW" The prisoner had never taken his eyes from the Parmesan's face.

Chapter 32 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy holds 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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.

What does chapter 32 of "Persons Unknown" contain?

Chapter 32 holds 329 sentences of "Persons Unknown", unabridged, divided into 66 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 32 of "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 329 sentences, grouped into 66 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 32 of "Persons Unknown"?

Work through the 66 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 66 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 32 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading "Persons Unknown"

Common questions about reading "Persons Unknown" by Virginia, -1946 Tracy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of "Persons Unknown"?

Yes. All 9652 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37545 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of "Persons Unknown" is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37545, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does "Persons Unknown" take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1931 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read "Persons Unknown" section by section

How to work through "Persons Unknown" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of "Persons Unknown" 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 "Persons Unknown"

Words and structures a reader meets early in "Persons Unknown", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Century
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Persons Unknown"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Winter's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Persons Unknown"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breath
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Persons Unknown"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Through
A word that appears in the opening chapter of "Persons Unknown"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.