Chapter 8 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
What had become of Salt, Penny did not know. Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction. As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle. "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly. He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
Chapter 8 of Signal in the Dark is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 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.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.”
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading “He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.”
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading “As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.”
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading “What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.”
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading “As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.”
past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use
From this reading “As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.”
make whistling sounds
From this reading “As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.”
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 came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.”
In this reading “"Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.”
In this reading “He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.”
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 As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading He came from behind a clump of bushes to join her.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
plural of “mine” — excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
with speed
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
small crude shelter used as a dwelling
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
with low volume
From this reading "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.
past form of “store” — keep or lay aside for future use
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Thinking he might have gone down to the lake, she walked rapidly in that direction.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What had become of Salt, Penny did not know.
in or at the place that
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
make whistling sounds
From this reading As she approached the shack where the mines were stored, she heard a low whistle.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is that you, Salt?" she called softly.
Chapter 8 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 8 holds 415 sentences of Signal in the Dark, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Signal in the Dark by Mildred A. (Mildred Augustine) Wirt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 8 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.
