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The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891
The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DRASHKIL-SMOKING.
"It must and shall be mine!"
So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.
And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.
His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.
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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 Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DRASHKIL-SMOKING.
Line 2
"It must and shall be mine!"
/ɪt mʌst ənd ʃæl biː maɪn/
Line 3
So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.
Line 4
And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.
/ənd jet ðer wɑːz ə kiːn sens ʌv ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt ˈwɜːrkɪŋ wɪˈðɪn hɪm/
Line 5
His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.
/hɪz blʌd hæd bɪn æt ˈfiːvər hiːt ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈlætər pɑːrt ʌv hɪz tæsk/

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.

disappointment noun US /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/

a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized

From this reading “And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.”

fever noun US /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading “His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.”

heat noun US /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading “His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.”

keen adjective US /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading “And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.”

spur noun US /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading “So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.”

task noun US /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading “His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.”

translation noun US /trænzˈleɪʃən/

a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

From this reading “So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.”

working adjective US /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading “And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

bloodnounUS /blʌd/

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

CaptainnounUS /ˈkæptən/

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

disappointmentnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/

a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

DRASHKIL-SMOKING

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

From this reading DRASHKIL-SMOKING.

Ducie

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

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

fevernounUS /ˈfiːvər/

a rise in the temperature of the body; frequently a symptom of infection

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

keenadjectiveUS /kiːn/

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

MSnounUS /mɪz/

a chronic progressive nervous disorder involving loss of myelin sheath around certain nerve fibers

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

Platzoff's

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

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "It must and shall be mine!"

SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

spokenounUS /spoʊk/

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

spurnounUS /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

tasknounUS /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading His blood had been at fever heat during the latter part of his task.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

translationnounUS /trænzˈleɪʃən/

a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

workingadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

actively engaged in paid work

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading So spoke Captain Ducie on the spur of the moment as he wrote the last word of his translation of M. Platzoff's MS.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading And yet there was a keen sense of disappointment working within him.

Chapter 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 by Various holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 172 sentences of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 1 of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891

Common questions about reading The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891?

Yes. All 2224 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18374 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18374, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 take to read?

About 185 minutes of reading across 445 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 section by section

How to work through The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891 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 Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Drashkil-smoking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shall
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spoke
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Captain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Argosy, Vol. 51, No. 4, April, 1891; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.