Chapter VIII of The Abandoned Country, “A Geological Phenomenon,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter VIII of The Abandoned Country, “A Geological Phenomenon,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs. But there were no return marks. “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively. Randall looked at him keenly. “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
Chapter VIII of The Abandoned Country, “A Geological Phenomenon,” is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading “There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.”
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading ““Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.”
plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
From this reading “There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.”
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading “Randall looked at him keenly.”
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
From this reading “But there were no return marks.”
extremely
From this reading ““They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.”
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading “There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.”
a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
From this reading ““Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.”
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 “There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.”
In this reading “There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “Randall looked at him keenly.”
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.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Randall looked at him keenly.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there were no return marks.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
plural of “footprint” — a mark of a foot or shoe on a surface
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Randall looked at him keenly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
and nothing more
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading Randall looked at him keenly.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Randall looked at him keenly.
English businessman who created a retail chain (1888-1964)
From this reading But there were no return marks.
the force of workers available
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
not any; not one
From this reading But there were no return marks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
extremely
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Randall looked at him keenly.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading But there were no return marks.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
From this reading “Is this another entrance to the volcano?” he asked.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were the footprints of two men just as they descended the stairs.
but in spite of that
From this reading “They’re down there yet,” declared Frank, positively.
Chapter 8 of The Abandoned Country by Luis Senarens holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 8 holds 161 sentences of The Abandoned Country, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Abandoned Country by Luis Senarens exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 33 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Abandoned Country by Luis Senarens on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1724 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56198 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #56198, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 143 minutes of reading across 345 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Abandoned Country section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Abandoned Country 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 The Abandoned Country, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
