Chapter 5 of The amateur crime is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The amateur crime is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine. “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones. “The house is only a few yards away.” They got out and walked down the road. Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
Chapter 5 of The amateur crime is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/67 · 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.
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
plural of “hedge” — a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes
From this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
From this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
past form of “loom” — come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
From this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
filled with shade
From this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
of considerable importance, size, or worth
From this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
past form of “switch” — change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
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 ““We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.”
the amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue
In this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
In this reading ““The house is only a few yards away.””
cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch
In this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
In this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
In this reading “Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.”
In this reading “Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.”
move out of or depart from
In this reading ““We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.”
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 “The house is only a few yards away.”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They got out and walked down the road.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
a young female
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They got out and walked down the road.
plural of “hedge” — a fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
impossible or nearly impossible to see; imperceptible by the eye
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
a narrow way or road
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
past form of “loom” — come into view indistinctly, often threateningly
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
the common people generally
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
not fanciful or imaginative
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
and nothing more
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading They got out and walked down the road.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
filled with shade
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
with skill
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
of considerable importance, size, or worth
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
past form of “switch” — change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They got out and walked down the road.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Red Blood and Red Ink The girl backed the car skilfully up an almost invisible lane, and switched off the engine.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading They got out and walked down the road.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We’d better get out here,” she said, in matter-of-fact tones.
a Caucasian
From this reading Behind trim hedges, broken by white gates, loomed up dimly the shadowy masses of substantial houses.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading “The house is only a few yards away.”
Chapter 5 of The amateur crime by Anthony Berkeley holds 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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 5 holds 338 sentences of The amateur crime, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The amateur crime by Anthony Berkeley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 68 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 5 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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Words and structures a reader meets early in The amateur crime, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
