Chapter 4 of The Americans is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Americans is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JIM KING. (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men! (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN. Run, Tommy! HARVEY ANDERSON.
Chapter 4 of The Americans is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)
From this reading “HARVEY ANDERSON.”
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading “(_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!”
the particular occupation for which you are trained
plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading “(_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!”
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading “HARVEY ANDERSON.”
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
cause to run in panic
From this reading “(_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.”
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.
a woman who is old
In this reading “(_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.”
In this reading “(_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “(_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!”
In this reading “(_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!”
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 (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
United States author whose works were frequently autobiographical (1876-1941)
From this reading HARVEY ANDERSON.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
plural of “flake” — a crystal of snow
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
English physician and scientist who described the circulation of the blood; he later proposed that all animals originate from an ovum produced by the female of the species (1578-1657)
From this reading HARVEY ANDERSON.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JIM KING.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading JIM KING.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
the force of workers available
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Run, Tommy!
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
cause to run in panic
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
in or at that place or location
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading (_Calling attention to the first flakes of snow_) Look at these flakes, men!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Run, Tommy!
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading (_There is a stampede for the gate_) AN OLD WOMAN.
Chapter 4 of The Americans by Edwin Davies Schoonmaker holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 holds 401 sentences of The Americans, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Americans by Edwin Davies Schoonmaker exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 4 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 Americans by Edwin Davies Schoonmaker on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3257 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41242 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41242, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 271 minutes of reading across 652 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Americans section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Americans 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 Americans, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
