Chapter 7 of Taking Chances is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Taking Chances is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Lescolette nodded gravely. "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked. "’Well, they’ll serve. I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals. ’It is now my bet, is it not?
Chapter 7 of Taking Chances is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
be close or similar
From this reading “I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.”
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading “’It is now my bet, is it not?”
the act of burning something
From this reading “I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.”
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading “I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.”
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading “I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.”
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading “"Lescolette nodded gravely.”
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading “"’Well, they’ll serve.”
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading “I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.”
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 “"Lescolette nodded gravely.”
In this reading “"’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.”
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.
anew
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
be close or similar
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
the act of burning something
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
opinion or judgment
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
in a grave and sober manner
From this reading "Lescolette nodded gravely.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lescolette nodded gravely.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading "Lescolette nodded gravely.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading ’It is now my bet, is it not?
on the contrary
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
express in words
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading "’Well, they’ll serve.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "’Well, they’ll serve.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading I approximate their value,’ said Cuthbert, the flush back in his face again and his eyes burning like coals.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "’Well, they’ll serve.
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading "’Rather more than they’re worth, I should say,’ he remarked.
Chapter 7 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen holds 411 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 7 holds 411 sentences of Taking Chances, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 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 7 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 Taking Chances by Clarence Louis, -1922 Cullen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4035 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37477 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #37477, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 336 minutes of reading across 807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Taking Chances section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Taking Chances 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 Taking Chances, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
