Chapter 4 of Peter Whiffle is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Peter Whiffle is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio. The word temperament was still undiscovered there. His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy. Of so much, he was aware. Adding machines and collections awaited him.
Chapter 4 of Peter Whiffle is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading “His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.”
plural of “collection” — several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading “Adding machines and collections awaited him.”
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “Adding machines and collections awaited him.”
characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
From this reading “His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.”
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.”
a stipulated condition
From this reading “Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.”
an industrial city in northwestern Ohio on Lake Erie
From this reading “Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.”
not discovered
From this reading “The word temperament was still undiscovered there.”
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.
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.
-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of
From this reading Adding machines and collections awaited him.
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Adding machines and collections awaited him.
expected hopefully
From this reading Adding machines and collections awaited him.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading Of so much, he was aware.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
plural of “collection” — several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading Adding machines and collections awaited him.
the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Of so much, he was aware.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading Adding machines and collections awaited him.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Of so much, he was aware.
characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
not any; not one
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
a stipulated condition
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Of so much, he was aware.
not in physical motion
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
your usual mood
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His negative kind of desire was alien to American sympathy.
an industrial city in northwestern Ohio on Lake Erie
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
not discovered
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Certainly, no provision was made for him in Toledo, Ohio.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The word temperament was still undiscovered there.
Chapter 4 of Peter Whiffle by Carl Van Vechten holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 424 sentences of Peter Whiffle, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Peter Whiffle by Carl Van Vechten exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Peter Whiffle by Carl Van Vechten on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Peter Whiffle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Peter Whiffle 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 Peter Whiffle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
