Chapter 19 of "Piracy" is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIX
Chapter 19 of "Piracy" is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
He sat a while over his port that night. He contemplated Virginia. A strange woman she is, he thought. Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s? She’s so pitiful--yet why?
Chapter 19 of "Piracy" is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
past form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading “He contemplated Virginia.”
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading “Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?”
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
From this reading “She’s so pitiful--yet why?”
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading “He sat a while over his port that night.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading “He sat a while over his port that night.”
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading “A strange woman she is, he thought.”
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading “He contemplated Virginia.”
possessive form of “virginia” — a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
past form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading He contemplated Virginia.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A strange woman she is, he thought.
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
above and across; more than
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
inspiring mixed contempt and pity
From this reading She’s so pitiful--yet why?
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A strange woman she is, he thought.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She’s so pitiful--yet why?
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She’s so pitiful--yet why?
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A strange woman she is, he thought.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading A strange woman she is, he thought.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading He contemplated Virginia.
possessive form of “virginia” — a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Every woman has a legend, there is a legend to every woman, but what is Virginia’s?
during the time that
From this reading He sat a while over his port that night.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading She’s so pitiful--yet why?
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading A strange woman she is, he thought.
but in spite of that
From this reading She’s so pitiful--yet why?
Chapter 19 of "Piracy" by Michael Arlen holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 19 holds 154 sentences of "Piracy", unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 19 of "Piracy" by Michael Arlen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 19 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 "Piracy" by Michael Arlen 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 "Piracy" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of "Piracy" 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 "Piracy", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
