Chapter 10 of The best short stories of 1917, and is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The best short stories of 1917, and is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Matthews could hardly believe his ears. He got up in turn. "What in hell do you mean by that?" "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you. Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
Chapter 10 of The best short stories of 1917, and is here in full — 444 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading “Matthews could hardly believe his ears.”
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading “"What in hell do you mean by that?"”
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading “"I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.”
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading “"I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.”
plural of “matthew” — (New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel
From this reading “Matthews could hardly believe his ears.”
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading “"I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.”
repeat a passage from
From this reading “Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.”
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “"I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.”
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.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
(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 Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
rid of obstructions
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He got up in turn.
only a very short time before
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He got up in turn.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He got up in turn.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
engage in
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
plural of “matthew” — (New Testament) disciple of Jesus; traditionally considered to be the author of the first Gospel
From this reading Matthews could hardly believe his ears.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
a form of address for a man
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
repeat a passage from
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading He got up in turn.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He got up in turn.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What in hell do you mean by that?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I am sorry, Mr. Matthews," answered the other, slowly, "that my knowledge of your language does not permit me to make myself clear to you.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading Perhaps you will understand me better if I quote from yourself.
Chapter 10 of The best short stories of 1917, and by Edward J. (Edward Joseph) [Editor] O'Brien holds 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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 10 holds 444 sentences of The best short stories of 1917, and, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The best short stories of 1917, and by Edward J. (Edward Joseph) [Editor] O'Brien exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 444 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 10 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 best short stories of 1917, and by Edward J. (Edward Joseph) [Editor] O'Brien on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 18263 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20872 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20872, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 3653 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The best short stories of 1917, and section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The best short stories of 1917, and 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 best short stories of 1917, and, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
