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The American Union Speaker
The American Union Speaker

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The American Union Speaker is here in full — 365 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The American Union Speaker
Context Illustration Reading 1/73 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
You are in the last crisis of nations.
To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.
By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.
Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.
Cicero.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The American Union Speaker

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The American Union Speaker is here in full — 365 sentences across 73 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/73 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
You are in the last crisis of nations.
/juː ɑːr ɪn ðə læst ˈkraɪsəs ʌv ˈneɪʃənz/
Line 2
To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.
Line 3
By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.
Line 4
Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.
/ˈʌðər ˈneɪʃənz meɪ bend tuː ˈsɜːrvətuːd ðə ˈbɜːrθraɪt ənd ðə dɪˈstɪŋkʃən ʌv ðə ˈpiːpəl ʌv roʊm ɪz ˈlɪb.ər.ti/
Line 5
Cicero.
/ˈsɪsəroʊ/

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.

behooves verb US /bɪˈhuːvz/

third-person singular of “behoove” — be appropriate or necessary

From this reading “By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.”

birthright noun US /ˈbɜːrθraɪt/

a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth

From this reading “Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.”

Cicero noun US /ˈsɪsəroʊ/

a linear unit of the size of type slightly larger than an em

From this reading “Cicero.”

concord noun US /ˈkɑːnkɔːrd/

capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river

From this reading “By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.”

encourage verb US /enˈkɜːrɪdʒ/

contribute to the progress or growth of

From this reading “By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.”

extremity noun US /ekˈstreməti/

an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading “By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.”

obligation noun US /ˌɑːbləˈɡeɪʃən/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading “By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.”

servitude noun US /ˈsɜːrvətuːd/

state of subjection to an owner or master or forced labor imposed as punishment

From this reading “Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

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 By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

bearverbUS /ber/

have

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

behoovesverbUS /bɪˈhuːvz/

third-person singular of “behoove” — be appropriate or necessary

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

bendverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

birthrightnounUS /ˈbɜːrθraɪt/

a right or privilege that you are entitled to at birth

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

CiceronounUS /ˈsɪsəroʊ/

a linear unit of the size of type slightly larger than an em

From this reading Cicero.

concordnounUS /ˈkɑːnkɔːrd/

capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

conquer-as

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/

an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

devotionnounUS /dɪˈvoʊʃən/

feelings of ardent love

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

distinctionnounUS /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/

a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

encourageverbUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒ/

contribute to the progress or growth of

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

extremitynounUS /ekˈstreməti/

an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/

plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

libertynounUS /ˈlɪb.ər.ti/

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/

plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

obligationnounUS /ˌɑːbləˈɡeɪʃən/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

OtheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

servitudenounUS /ˈsɜːrvətuːd/

state of subjection to an owner or master or forced labor imposed as punishment

From this reading Other nations may bend to servitude; the birthright and the distinction of the people of Rome is liberty.

slaverynounUS /ˈsleɪvəri/

the state of being under the control of another person

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

slavesnounUS /sleɪvz/

plural of “slave” — a person who is owned by someone

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

StatesnounUS /steɪts/

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To be free or to be slaves--that is the question of the hour.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You are in the last crisis of nations.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

yourselvespronounUS /jʊrˈselvz/

used when the people spoken to are both doing and receiving the action

From this reading By every obligation of man or States it behooves you in this extremity to conquer-as your devotion to the gods and your concord among yourselves encourage you to hope--or to bear all things but slavery.

Chapter 11 of The American Union Speaker by John D. (John Dudley) Philbrick holds 365 sentences, grouped into 73 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 11 of The American Union Speaker contain?

Chapter 11 holds 365 sentences of The American Union Speaker, unabridged, divided into 73 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The American Union Speaker by John D. (John Dudley) Philbrick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 365 sentences, grouped into 73 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 11 of The American Union Speaker?

Work through the 73 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 73 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 11 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The American Union Speaker

Common questions about reading The American Union Speaker by John D. (John Dudley) Philbrick on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The American Union Speaker?

Yes. All 10077 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7211 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The American Union Speaker is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #7211, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The American Union Speaker take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2016 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The American Union Speaker section by section

How to work through The American Union Speaker section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The American Union Speaker to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The American Union Speaker

Words and structures a reader meets early in The American Union Speaker, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

District
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Union Speaker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Court
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Union Speaker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Massachusetts
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Union Speaker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Houghton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The American Union Speaker; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.