Chapter 8 of The Black Cross is here in full — 313 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Black Cross is here in full — 313 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Is Monsieur Velasco in?" "He is, sir." "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once." "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing. He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
Chapter 8 of The Black Cross is here in full — 313 sentences across 63 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/62 · 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.
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading “"Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.”
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading “He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"”
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading “He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"”
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading “"Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."”
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading “"Is Monsieur Velasco in?"”
on one occasion
From this reading “"Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."”
term of address for a man
From this reading “"He is, sir."”
express in speech
From this reading “"Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.
the spatial property resulting from the arrangement of parts in relation to each other and to the whole
From this reading "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "He is, sir."
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Is Monsieur Velasco in?"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is Monsieur Velasco in?"
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading He has been composing for days--Monsieur knows?"
someone who controls resources and expenditures
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading "Is Monsieur Velasco in?"
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
on one occasion
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
term of address for a man
From this reading "He is, sir."
express in speech
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
express in words
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Tell him his manager, Galitsin, is here and must speak to him at once."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Is Monsieur Velasco in?"
precisely as stated
From this reading "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Very well, Barin, but--he is composing.
Chapter 8 of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs holds 313 sentences, grouped into 63 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 8 holds 313 sentences of The Black Cross, unabridged, divided into 63 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 313 sentences, grouped into 63 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 63 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 63 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 8 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 Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21259 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Black Cross section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Black Cross 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 Black Cross, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
