Chapter 14 of South Wind is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of South Wind is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Nothing was happening. For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure. It was the dullest spring on record. And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief. Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
Chapter 14 of South Wind is here in full — 222 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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 particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading “And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.”
superlative of “dull” — lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading “It was the dullest spring on record.”
an act that fails
From this reading “For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.”
an event that happens
From this reading “Nothing was happening.”
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading “And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.”
anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
From this reading “It was the dullest spring on record.”
pose a threat to; present a danger to
From this reading “And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.”
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading “For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.”
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 For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
superlative of “dull” — lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading It was the dullest spring on record.
every person
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
an act that fails
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
an event that happens
From this reading Nothing was happening.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the dullest spring on record.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing was happening.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was the dullest spring on record.
an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
From this reading It was the dullest spring on record.
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
from a time in the past until now
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
the season of growth
From this reading It was the dullest spring on record.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Everybody agreed that it had never been quite so bad as this.
pose a threat to; present a danger to
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nothing was happening.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
a late time of life
From this reading For the first time since many years, the Nepenthe season threatened to be a failure.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet there was a quality in that heavy atmosphere which seemed to threaten mischief.
Chapter 14 of South Wind by Norman Douglas holds 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 14 holds 222 sentences of South Wind, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of South Wind by Norman Douglas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 222 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 14 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 South Wind by Norman Douglas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9580 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4508, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1916 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through South Wind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of South Wind 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 South Wind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
