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Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)
Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) is here in full — 482 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)
Context Illustration Reading 1/96 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.
1.
CHAPTER I.
IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.
When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.
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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.

Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) is here in full — 482 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/96 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.
/kənˈteɪnɪŋ ə ˈhɪstəri ənd ə ˈmɔːrəl/
Line 2
1.
Line 3
CHAPTER I.
/ˈtʃæptər aɪ/
Line 4
IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.
Line 5
When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.
/wen aɪ ˈoʊpənd maɪ aɪz aɪ faʊnd ðæt aɪ wɑːz ˈlaɪɪŋ ɪn ə ˈhʌvəl ˈveri miːn ʌv əˈpɪrəns jet wɪð ə ˈsɜːrtən ˈniːtnəs ənd ˈklenlinɪs əˈbaʊt ɪt ðæt prɪˈventɪd ɪt frʌm ˈlʊkɪŋ ˈskwɑːləd/

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.

cleanliness noun US /ˈklenlinɪs/

the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections

From this reading “When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.”

containing verb US /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading “CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.”

finds noun US /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading “IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.”

hovel noun US /ˈhʌvəl/

small crude shelter used as a dwelling

From this reading “When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.”

lee noun US /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading “IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.”

neatness noun US /ˈniːtnəs/

the state of being neat and smart and trim

From this reading “When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.”

prevented verb US /prɪˈventɪd/

past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading “When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.”

squalid adjective US /ˈskwɑːləd/

morally degraded

From this reading “When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.”

All words in this reading · 41

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.

1

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

From this reading 1.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.

ABOUTprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

BLACKadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER I.

cleanlinessnounUS /ˈklenlinɪs/

the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

CONTAININGverbUS /kənˈteɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.

EVERYdeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

FINDSnounUS /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

HIMpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

HISTORYnounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.

hovelnounUS /ˈhʌvəl/

small crude shelter used as a dwelling

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading CHAPTER I.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

LEEnounUS /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

MORALadjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading CONTAINING A HISTORY AND A MORAL.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

neatnessnounUS /ˈniːtnəs/

the state of being neat and smart and trim

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/

past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

SHEPPARD

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

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

squalidadjectiveUS /ˈskwɑːləd/

morally degraded

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

THINGnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH SHEPPARD LEE FINDS EVERY THING BLACK ABOUT HIM.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading When I opened my eyes I found that I was lying in a hovel, very mean of appearance, yet with a certain neatness and cleanliness about it that prevented it from looking squalid.

Chapter 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) by Robert Montgomery Bird holds 482 sentences, grouped into 97 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 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 5 holds 482 sentences of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 97 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) by Robert Montgomery Bird exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 482 sentences, grouped into 97 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 5 of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)?

Work through the 97 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 97 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)

Common questions about reading Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) by Robert Montgomery Bird on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)?

Yes. All 2330 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46622 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46622, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) take to read?

About 194 minutes of reading across 466 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) section by section

How to work through Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Written
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Himself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Those
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sheppard Lee, Written by Himself. Vol. 2 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.