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Roughing It, Part 4.
Roughing It, Part 4.

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Roughing It, Part 4. is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Roughing It, Part 4.
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.
We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.
This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.
Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."
Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Roughing It, Part 4.

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Roughing It, Part 4. is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.
Line 2
We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.
/wiː hæd tuː tɜːrn aʊt æt sɪks ɪn ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ənd kiːp æt ɪt tɪl dɑːrk/
Line 3
This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.
Line 4
Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."
/sɪks tɔːl əˈpraɪt rɑːdz ʌv ˈaɪərn æz lɑːrdʒ æz ə mænz ˈæŋkəl ənd ˈhevəli ʃɑːd wɪð ə mæs ʌv ˈaɪərn ənd stiːl æt ðer ˈloʊər endz wɜːr freɪmd təˈɡeðər laɪk ə ɡeɪt ənd ðiːz roʊz ənd fel wʌn ˈæftər ðə ˈʌðər ɪn ə ˈpɑːndərəs dæns ɪn æn ˈaɪərn bɑːks kɔːld ə ˈbætəri/
Line 5
Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.
/iːtʃ ʌv ðiːz rɑːdz ɔːr stæmps weɪd sɪks ˈhʌndrəd paʊndz/

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.

bowels noun US /ˈbaʊəlz/

the center of the Earth

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

burrow noun US /ˈbɜːroʊ/

a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

burrowing verb US /ˈbɜːroʊɪŋ/

-ing form of “burrow” — move through by or as by digging

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

coveted adjective US /ˈkʌvətɪd/

greatly desired

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

laborious adjective US /ləˈbɔːriəs/

characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

ore noun US /ɔːr/

a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined

From this reading “I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.”

shod adjective US /ʃɑːd/

wearing footgear

From this reading “Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."”

stamps noun US /stæmps/

plural of “stamp” — the distinctive form in which a thing is made

From this reading “Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.”

All words in this reading · 90

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

affairnounUS /əˈfer/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

anklenounUS /ˈæŋkəl/

a gliding joint between the distal ends of the tibia and fibula and the proximal end of the talus

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

batterynounUS /ˈbætəri/

group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

bowelsnounUS /ˈbaʊəlz/

the center of the Earth

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

boxnounUS /bɑːks/

a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

burrownounUS /ˈbɜːroʊ/

a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

burrowingverbUS /ˈbɜːroʊɪŋ/

-ing form of “burrow” — move through by or as by digging

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

covetedadjectiveUS /ˈkʌvətɪd/

greatly desired

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

dancenounUS /dæns/

an artistic form of nonverbal communication

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

dismaladjectiveUS /ˈdɪzməl/

causing dejection

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

drivenadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪvən/

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

endsnounUS /endz/

plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

framedadjectiveUS /freɪmd/

provided with a frame

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/

to a considerable degree

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

how

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

ironnounUS /ˈaɪərn/

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

keepverbUS /kiːp/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

laboriousadjectiveUS /ləˈbɔːriəs/

characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

millverbUS /mɪl/

move about in a confused manner

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

orenounUS /ɔːr/

a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/

slow and laborious because of weight

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

poundsnounUS /paʊndz/

plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

rodsnounUS /rɑːdz/

plural of “rod” — a long thin implement made of metal or wood

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

shodadjectiveUS /ʃɑːd/

wearing footgear

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

silvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

six-stamp

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

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

stampsnounUS /stæmps/

plural of “stamp” — the distinctive form in which a thing is made

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

steamverbUS /stiːm/

travel by means of steam power

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

steelnounUS /stiːl/

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 Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

tasknounUS /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This mill was a six-stamp affair, driven by steam.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

uprightadjectiveUS /əˈpraɪt/

in a vertical position; not sloping

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We had to turn out at six in the morning and keep at it till dark.

weighedverbUS /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading Each of these rods or stamps weighed six hundred pounds.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Six tall, upright rods of iron, as large as a man's ankle, and heavily shod with a mass of iron and steel at their lower ends, were framed together like a gate, and these rose and fell, one after the other, in a ponderous dance, in an iron box called a "battery."

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading I had already learned how hard and long and dismal a task it is to burrow down into the bowels of the earth and get out the coveted ore; and now I learned that the burrowing was only half the work; and that to get the silver out of the ore was the dreary and laborious other half of it.

Chapter 6 of Roughing It, Part 4. by Mark Twain holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 6 of Roughing It, Part 4. contain?

Chapter 6 holds 66 sentences of Roughing It, Part 4., unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Roughing It, Part 4. by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 6 of Roughing It, Part 4.?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Roughing It, Part 4.

Common questions about reading Roughing It, Part 4. by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Roughing It, Part 4.?

Yes. All 808 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #8585 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Roughing It, Part 4. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #8585, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Roughing It, Part 4. take to read?

About 67 minutes of reading across 162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Roughing It, Part 4. section by section

How to work through Roughing It, Part 4. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of Roughing It, Part 4. 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 Roughing It, Part 4.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Roughing It, Part 4., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roughing It, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Caused
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roughing It, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Particular
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roughing It, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Discomfort
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Roughing It, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.