Tales of a Cruel Country

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Gerald Cumberland • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Tales of a Cruel Country

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

“Tell me about him.

You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

“He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

His faith came and went.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VIII Reading 1/82

Tales of a Cruel Country

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

“Tell me about him.

/tel miː əˈbaʊt hɪm/

Line 2

You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

/juː noʊ aɪ wɑːz ˈoʊnli fɪfˈtiːn wen hiː daɪd ənd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə læst tuː jɪrz ʌv hɪz laɪf aɪ ˈnevər sɔː hɪm æt ɔːl/

Line 3

So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

Line 4

“He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

/hiː ˈrɪli hæd ˈveri ɡreɪt ˈpaʊərz ʃɔː kənˈtɪnjuːd bʌt ðə ˈwiːknəs ɪn hɪm wɑːz ðæt hiː hæd nɑːt səˈfɪʃənt feɪθ ɪn hɪmˈself/

Line 5

His faith came and went.

/hɪz feɪθ keɪm ənd went/

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.

capacity noun US /kəˈpæsəti/

capability to perform or produce

From this reading “So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.”

extraordinary adjective US /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading “So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.”

patient noun US /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading “So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.”

powers noun US /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading ““He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.”

sensitiveness noun US /ˈsensətɪvnəs/

sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)

From this reading “So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.”

Shaw noun US /ʃɔː/

United States clarinetist and leader of a swing band (1910-2004)

From this reading ““He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.”

weakness noun US /ˈwiːknəs/

a flaw or weak point

From this reading ““He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.”

Xavier noun US /ˈzeɪvjər/

Spanish missionary and Jesuit who establish missionaries in Japan and Ceylon and the East Indies (1506-1552)

From this reading “So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

two years noun + noun

In this reading “You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.””

great powers adjective + noun counted as “great power”

a state powerful enough to influence events throughout the world

In this reading ““He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.”

last two adjective + noun

In this reading “You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.””

All words in this reading · 55

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “Tell me about him.

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 You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading His faith came and went.

capacitynounUS /kəˈpæsəti/

capability to perform or produce

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

couragenounUS /ˈkɜːrədʒ/

a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

diedverbUS /daɪd/

past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Tell me about him.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Tell me about him.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

powersnounUS /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

sensitivenessnounUS /ˈsensətɪvnəs/

sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

ShawnounUS /ʃɔː/

United States clarinetist and leader of a swing band (1910-2004)

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

TellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading “Tell me about him.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

weaknessnounUS /ˈwiːknəs/

a flaw or weak point

From this reading “He really had very great powers,” Shaw continued, “but the weakness in him was that he had not sufficient faith in himself.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading His faith came and went.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

XaviernounUS /ˈzeɪvjər/

Spanish missionary and Jesuit who establish missionaries in Japan and Ceylon and the East Indies (1506-1552)

From this reading So the stranger told Xavier of his father’s last years--of his patient courage, his extraordinary capacity for work, his sensitiveness.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You know, I was only fifteen when he died, and during the last two years of his life I never saw him at all.”

Chapter 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country by Gerald Cumberland holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country contain?

Chapter 8 holds 410 sentences of Tales of a Cruel Country, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country by Gerald Cumberland exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 8 of Tales of a Cruel Country?

Work through the 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 82 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Tales of a Cruel Country

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Yes. All 4880 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60272 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #60272, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 406 minutes of reading across 976 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Tales of a Cruel Country

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales of a Cruel Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales of a Cruel Country; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter VIII

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