Chapter 3 of Sylvia: A Novel is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Sylvia: A Novel is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I see,” he said, somewhat grimly. “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.” “Is it cowardice?” “Perhaps. It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
Chapter 3 of Sylvia: A Novel is here in full — 428 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers
From this reading ““I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.””
the trait of lacking courage
From this reading ““Is it cowardice?””
freedom to act or judge on one's own
From this reading “It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.”
to come or go into
From this reading ““I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.””
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading ““I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.””
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading ““I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.”
to a small degree or extent
From this reading ““I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.”
the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)
From this reading “It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.”
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 “It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.”
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 fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
a business relation in which two parties compete to gain customers
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
the trait of lacking courage
From this reading “Is it cowardice?”
freedom to act or judge on one's own
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
to come or go into
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
in a grim implacable manner
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is it cowardice?”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Is it cowardice?”
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
by chance
From this reading “Perhaps.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading “I see,” he said, somewhat grimly.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “I fear, Miss Castleman, I cannot enter such a competition.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)
From this reading It has been said that discretion is the better part of valor.
Chapter 3 of Sylvia: A Novel by Upton Sinclair holds 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 428 sentences of Sylvia: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Sylvia: A Novel by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 428 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 Sylvia: A Novel by Upton Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sylvia: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Sylvia: A Novel 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 Sylvia: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
