Chapter 18 of Reviews is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of Reviews is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man? And what is his manner of life? The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe. He adopts no absolute position. 'In motion, he is like water.
Chapter 18 of Reviews is here in full — 239 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading “He adopts no absolute position.”
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading “Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?”
third-person singular of “adopt” — choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
From this reading “He adopts no absolute position.”
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.”
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading “'In motion, he is like water.”
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading “Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?”
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading “He adopts no absolute position.”
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading “The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.”
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.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading He adopts no absolute position.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
third-person singular of “adopt” — choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
From this reading He adopts no absolute position.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He adopts no absolute position.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'In motion, he is like water.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading 'In motion, he is like water.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals
From this reading 'In motion, he is like water.
not any; not one
From this reading He adopts no absolute position.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading He adopts no absolute position.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The perfect man does nothing beyond gazing at the universe.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading 'In motion, he is like water.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading And what is his manner of life?
which person or people
From this reading Who, then, according to Chuang Tzu, is the perfect man?
Chapter 18 of Reviews by Oscar Wilde holds 239 sentences, grouped into 48 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 18 holds 239 sentences of Reviews, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of Reviews by Oscar Wilde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 239 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 18 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 Reviews by Oscar Wilde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7101 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14240 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14240, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 591 minutes of reading across 1421 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Reviews section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of Reviews 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 Reviews, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
