Chapter 3 of Ten minute stories is here in full — 426 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 Ten minute stories is here in full — 426 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope. It’s the other,” he observed vaguely. “What a bore, isn’t it? This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements. “Where are we, I wonder?
Chapter 3 of Ten minute stories is here in full — 426 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.
plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
cause to be bored
From this reading ““What a bore, isn’t it?”
a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)
From this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
unpleasantly
From this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading ““Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.”
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
in a vague way
From this reading “It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.”
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
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 “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
In this reading “This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.”
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 “What a bore, isn’t it?
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
plural of “advertisement” — a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Where are we, I wonder?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
cause to be bored
From this reading “What a bore, isn’t it?
a reproduction of a written record (e.g. of a legal or school record)
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
unpleasantly
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
a flat (usually rectangular) container for a letter, thin package, etc.
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Where are we, I wonder?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What a bore, isn’t it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “What a bore, isn’t it?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.
the literary culture
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
and nothing more
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
not any; not one
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
in a vague way
From this reading It’s the other,” he observed vaguely.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Where are we, I wonder?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What a bore, isn’t it?
in or at the place that
From this reading “Where are we, I wonder?
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading “Where are we, I wonder?
the words that are spoken
From this reading This is merely a copy of his letters to--er--to----” He looked distressingly about him through the windows, as though he hoped to find his words in the shop-letterings or among the advertisements.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading “Oh no, that’s the wrong envelope.
Chapter 3 of Ten minute stories by Algernon Blackwood holds 426 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 426 sentences of Ten minute stories, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Ten minute stories by Algernon Blackwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 426 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 Ten minute stories by Algernon Blackwood 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 Ten minute stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Ten minute stories 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 Ten minute stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
