Chapter 5 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused. "My dear young lady," he said. "Do you realize that mines are very expensive? I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests." "Of course," stammered Louise.
Chapter 5 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
pleasantly occupied
From this reading “Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.”
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading “"Do you realize that mines are very expensive?”
to a moderate degree
From this reading “Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.”
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading “"Do you realize that mines are very expensive?”
come into possession of
From this reading “I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."”
having official authority or sanction
From this reading “I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."”
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading “"Do you realize that mines are very expensive?”
plural of “test” — trying something to find out about it
From this reading “I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."”
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.
a young female
In this reading “"My dear young lady," he said.”
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course," stammered Louise.”
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 have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
pleasantly occupied
From this reading Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
the past participle of “be”
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course," stammered Louise.
dearly loved
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
high in price or charging high prices
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
a polite name for any woman
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Of course," stammered Louise.
to a moderate degree
From this reading Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
as might be expected
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
come into possession of
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course," stammered Louise.
having official authority or sanction
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
and nothing more
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading Professor Bettenridge looked mildly amused.
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
except for; apart from
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Of course," stammered Louise.
plural of “test” — trying something to find out about it
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I have been able to obtain only a few, and naturally I must save them for official tests."
precisely as stated
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you realize that mines are very expensive?
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading "My dear young lady," he said.
Chapter 5 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 5 holds 424 sentences of Signal in the Dark, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 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.
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.
