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Sketches New and Old, Part 4.
Sketches New and Old, Part 4.

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. is here in full — 512 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Sketches New and Old, Part 4.
Context Illustration Reading 1/102 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.
The trial was at hand.
All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.
No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.
Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.
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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.

Sketches New and Old, Part 4.

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. is here in full — 512 sentences across 103 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/102 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.
/ðə ˈfraɪtfəl kəˈtæstrəfi/
Line 2
The trial was at hand.
/ðə ˈtraɪəl wɑːz æt hænd/
Line 3
All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.
Line 4
No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.
/noʊ speɪs wɑːz left əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd wer ðer wɑːz ruːm fɔːr ə ˈspekteɪtər tuː stænd ɔːr sɪt/
Line 5
Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.
/ˈkɑːnræd klæd ɪn ˈpɜːrpəl ənd ˈɜːrmən sæt ɪn ðə preˈmɪrz tʃer ənd ɑːn ˈiːðər saɪd sæt ðə ɡreɪt ˈdʒʌdʒɪz ʌv ðə relm/

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.

barons noun US /ˈbærənz/

plural of “baron” — a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading “All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.”

catastrophe noun US /kəˈtæstrəfi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading “THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.”

Conrad noun US /ˈkɑːnræd/

English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)

From this reading “Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.”

ducal adjective US /ˈduːkəl/

of or belonging to or suitable for a duke

From this reading “All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.”

ermine noun US /ˈɜːrmən/

the expensive white fur of the ermine

From this reading “Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.”

premier's noun US /preˈmɪrz/

possessive form of “premier” — the person who holds the position of head of the government in the United Kingdom

From this reading “Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.”

spectator noun US /ˈspekteɪtər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading “No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.”

unoccupied adjective US /əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd/

not held or filled or in use

From this reading “No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

AlladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The trial was at hand.

baronsnounUS /ˈbærənz/

plural of “baron” — a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

Brandenburgh

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

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

CATASTROPHEnounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/

an event resulting in great loss and misfortune

From this reading THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.

chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

cladadjectiveUS /klæd/

wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

ConradnounUS /ˈkɑːnræd/

English novelist (born in Poland) noted for sea stories and for his narrative technique (1857-1924)

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

ducaladjectiveUS /ˈduːkəl/

of or belonging to or suitable for a duke

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

erminenounUS /ˈɜːrmən/

the expensive white fur of the ermine

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

FRIGHTFULadjectiveUS /ˈfraɪtfəl/

provoking horror

From this reading THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The trial was at hand.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

judgesnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/

a book of the Old Testament that tells the history of Israel under the leaders known as judges

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

JusticenounUS /ˈdʒʌstəs/

the quality of being just or fair

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

lordsnounUS /lɔːrdz/

plural of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

palacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

premier'snounUS /preˈmɪrz/

possessive form of “premier” — the person who holds the position of head of the government in the United Kingdom

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

purplenounUS /ˈpɜːrpəl/

a purple color or pigment

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

realmnounUS /relm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Conrad, clad in purple and ermine, sat in the premier's chair, and on either side sat the great judges of the realm.

sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

spacenounUS /speɪs/

the unlimited expanse in which everything is located

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

spectatornounUS /ˈspekteɪtər/

a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

trialnounUS /ˈtraɪəl/

the act of testing something

From this reading The trial was at hand.

unoccupiedadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːkjəpaɪd/

not held or filled or in use

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The trial was at hand.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading All the great lords and barons of Brandenburgh were assembled in the Hall of Justice in the ducal palace.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading No space was left unoccupied where there was room for a spectator to stand or sit.

Chapter 5 of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. by Mark Twain holds 512 sentences, grouped into 103 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 Sketches New and Old, Part 4. contain?

Chapter 5 holds 512 sentences of Sketches New and Old, Part 4., unabridged, divided into 103 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 512 sentences, grouped into 103 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 Sketches New and Old, Part 4.?

Work through the 103 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 103 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 Sketches New and Old, Part 4.

Common questions about reading Sketches New and Old, Part 4. by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sketches New and Old, Part 4.?

Yes. All 662 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5839 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5839, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sketches New and Old, Part 4. take to read?

About 55 minutes of reading across 133 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sketches New and Old, Part 4. section by section

How to work through Sketches New and Old, Part 4. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 5 chapters of Sketches New and Old, Part 4. 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 Sketches New and Old, Part 4.

Words and structures a reader meets early in Sketches New and Old, Part 4., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Secret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches New and Old, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Revealed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches New and Old, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches New and Old, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stillness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sketches New and Old, Part 4.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.