Chapter 4 of Samba is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Samba is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing. He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale. But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled. "That's better," said Mr. Martindale. "Poor boy!
Chapter 4 of Samba is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading “Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.”
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading “He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.”
bottle that has a narrow neck
From this reading “But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.”
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading “He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.”
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading “Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.”
restored to consciousness or life or vigor
From this reading “But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.”
large west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and one-winged seeds; yields soft white to pale yellow wood
From this reading “Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.”
a small drink
From this reading “But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.”
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.
In this reading “He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.”
In this reading “He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.”
a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States
In this reading “"Poor boy!”
In this reading “He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.”
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 But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading "That's better," said Mr. Martindale.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Poor boy!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
past form of “faint” — pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
bottle that has a narrow neck
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
set down according to a plan
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
held up in the air
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
past form of “moan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
a form of address for a man
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
not any; not one
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
on one occasion
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading "Poor boy!
compacted by ironing
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
restored to consciousness or life or vigor
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "That's better," said Mr. Martindale.
large west African tree having large palmately lobed leaves and axillary cymose panicles of small white flowers and one-winged seeds; yields soft white to pale yellow wood
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
a small drink
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That's better," said Mr. Martindale.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But a sip from the traveller's flask revived him, and he smiled.
two times
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
at the time that
From this reading Monsieur Elbel Samba made no resistance when Nando lifted him and carried him to the centre of the clearing.
people who are wounded
From this reading He moaned once or twice as the Baenga pressed his wounded arm, and almost fainted when he was laid on the ground before Mr. Martindale.
Chapter 4 of Samba by Herbert Strang holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 211 sentences of Samba, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Samba by Herbert Strang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 Samba by Herbert Strang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6902 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39061 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39061, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 575 minutes of reading across 1381 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Samba section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of Samba 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 Samba, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
