Chapter 3 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You didn't publish it?" "Naturally not." Ben laughed shortly. "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole. Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
Chapter 3 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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 mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Ben laughed shortly.”
plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading “Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."”
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading “"I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading “"I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.”
put into print
From this reading “"You didn't publish it?"”
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading “Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."”
for a short time
From this reading “Ben laughed shortly.”
of considerable importance, size, or worth
From this reading “Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."”
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 “Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."”
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 "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Ben laughed shortly.
plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You didn't publish it?"
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "You didn't publish it?"
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading Ben laughed shortly.
as might be expected
From this reading "Naturally not."
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Naturally not."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
put into print
From this reading "You didn't publish it?"
characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
for a short time
From this reading Ben laughed shortly.
of considerable importance, size, or worth
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
required or under orders
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Cordell is supposed to be one of our substantial, respectable citizens."
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "I doubt if any newspaper would touch it with a ten-foot pole.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You didn't publish it?"
Chapter 3 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 3 holds 418 sentences of Signal in the Dark, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 3 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 Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3785 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34850 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34850, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 315 minutes of reading across 757 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Signal in the Dark section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Signal in the Dark 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 Signal in the Dark, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
