Chapter 11 of Taking the Bastile is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of Taking the Bastile is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE PRISON GOVERNOR. Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales. He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes. He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words. "We'll never get in," he muttered.
Chapter 11 of Taking the Bastile is here in full — 237 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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 short personal letter
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
plural of “loophole” — an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
From this reading “He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.”
plural of “monster” — an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
-ing form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading “He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.”
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
plural of “scale” — an ordered reference standard
From this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
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 counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.”
become used up; be exhausted
In this reading “He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.”
In this reading “He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.”
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 He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
a short personal letter
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
the organ of sight
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
a deliberately false or improbable account
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "We'll never get in," he muttered.
the head of a state government
From this reading THE PRISON GOVERNOR.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "We'll never get in," he muttered.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
plural of “loophole” — an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
plural of “monster” — an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading "We'll never get in," he muttered.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "We'll never get in," he muttered.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment
From this reading THE PRISON GOVERNOR.
-ing form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
plural of “scale” — an ordered reference standard
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE PRISON GOVERNOR.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'll never get in," he muttered.
in or at the place that
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He counted the embrasures where the great guns might be run out again and the wall-guns which opened their ominous eye to peer through the loopholes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Billet looked at the mossgrown edifice, resembling the monsters of fable covered with scales.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He shook his head, recalling Flesselles' words.
Chapter 11 of Taking the Bastile by Alexandre Dumas holds 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 11 holds 237 sentences of Taking the Bastile, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of Taking the Bastile by Alexandre Dumas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 237 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 11 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.
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Yes. All 4063 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45424 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45424, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 338 minutes of reading across 813 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Taking the Bastile section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Taking the Bastile, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
