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Scissors
Scissors

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of Scissors is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Scissors
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.
Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.
The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.
Vernley had wanted to talk.
Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Scissors

Chapter XXII

Chapter 22 of Scissors is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.
Line 2
Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.
/nɑːt ðæt hiː wɑːz dɪˈstrest baɪ ˈeni ˈbɪtərnəs pərˈhæps ə ˈlɪtəl ˈbɪtərnəs ə rɪˈzentmənt ʌv hɜːr ˌɪnˈdʒʌstɪs wʊd hæv ˈkʌmfərtɪd hɪm/
Line 3
The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.
/ðə ˌɪnəkˈsplɪsəbəl ˈriːzənz ʌv hɜːr ˈækʃən hiː siːst tuː ˈpɑːndər ənd ðə ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz hiː felt wɜːr nɑːt hɪz/
Line 4
Vernley had wanted to talk.
Line 5
Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

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.

bitterness noun US /ˈbɪtərnəs/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading “Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.”

comforted adjective US /ˈkʌmfərtɪd/

made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress

From this reading “Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.”

distressed adjective US /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading “Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.”

inexplicable adjective US /ˌɪnəkˈsplɪsəbəl/

incapable of being explained or accounted for

From this reading “The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.”

injustice noun US /ˌɪnˈdʒʌstɪs/

an unjust act

From this reading “Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.”

ponder verb US /ˈpɑːndər/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.”

resentment noun US /rɪˈzentmənt/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading “Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.”

revolted verb US /rɪˈvoʊltɪd/

past form of “revolt” — make revolution

From this reading “Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

few days adjective + noun

In this reading “In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.”

accomplished fact adjective + noun

an irreversible accomplishment

In this reading “Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.”

far more adverb + adjective

In this reading “Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

accomplishedadjectiveUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃt/

highly skilled

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

actionnounUS /ˈækʃən/

something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

bitternessnounUS /ˈbɪtərnəs/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

ceasedverbUS /siːst/

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

comfortedadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtɪd/

made comfortable or more comfortable in a time of distress

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/

plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

CuriouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

distressedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrest/

facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Vernley had wanted to talk.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

inexplicableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnəkˈsplɪsəbəl/

incapable of being explained or accounted for

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

injusticenounUS /ˌɪnˈdʒʌstɪs/

an unjust act

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

marriagenounUS /ˈmerɪdʒ/

the state of being a married couple voluntarily joined for life (or until divorce)

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

Muriel

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

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

ponderverbUS /ˈpɑːndər/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

reasonsnounUS /ˈriːzənz/

plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

resentmentnounUS /rɪˈzentmənt/

a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

revoltedverbUS /rɪˈvoʊltɪd/

past form of “revolt” — make revolution

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Vernley had wanted to talk.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Curiously, he now saw, Vernley revolted far more than he against the accomplished fact of her marriage.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading In those last few days he deliberately kept his thoughts away from Muriel.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

Vernley

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

From this reading Vernley had wanted to talk.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Vernley had wanted to talk.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The inexplicable reasons of her action he ceased to ponder, and the consequences, he felt, were not his.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Not that he was distressed by any bitterness; perhaps a little bitterness, a resentment of her injustice, would have comforted him.

Chapter 22 of Scissors by Cecil Roberts holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 22 of Scissors contain?

Chapter 22 holds 120 sentences of Scissors, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 22 of Scissors by Cecil Roberts exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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 22 of Scissors?

Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 24 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 22 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 22 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 Scissors

Common questions about reading Scissors by Cecil Roberts on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Scissors?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Scissors is used?

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

How long does Scissors take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Scissors section by section

How to work through Scissors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Scissors 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 Scissors

Words and structures a reader meets early in Scissors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Scissors, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Scissors, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Scissors, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.