Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Brass Check
The Brass Check

Chapter XXXVIII · Cutting the Tiger’s Claws

Chapter XXXVIII of The Brass Check, “Cutting the Tiger’s Claws,” is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Brass Check
Context Illustration Reading 1/16 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.
Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.
And what is to be done?
It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.
Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Brass Check

Chapter XXXVIII · Cutting the Tiger’s Claws

Chapter XXXVIII of The Brass Check, “Cutting the Tiger’s Claws,” is here in full — 81 sentences across 17 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/16 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.
/ˈevəri deɪ ðə ˈkæzəm bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈklæsəz ɪn əˈmerəkə ɡroʊz ˈwaɪdər ˈevəri deɪ ðə klæs ˈstrʌɡəl ɡroʊz mɔːr ˌɪnˈtens/
Line 2
Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.
Line 3
And what is to be done?
/ənd wʌt ɪz tuː biː dʌn/
Line 4
It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.
/ɪt mʌst biː ˈevədənt tuː ˈeni ˈsensəbəl mæn ðæt ðə kənˈdɪʃənz pɔːrˈtreɪd ɪn ðɪs bʊk ɑːr ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/
Line 5
Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.
/ˈmænˈkaɪnd wɪl nɑːt kənˈsent tuː biː laɪd tuː ˌɪnˈdefənətli/

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.

chasm noun US /ˈkæzəm/

a deep opening in the earth's surface

From this reading “Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.”

dishonesty noun US /dɪˈsɑːnəsti/

the quality of being dishonest

From this reading “Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.”

indefinitely adverb US /ˌɪnˈdefənətli/

to an indefinite extent; for an indefinite time

From this reading “Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.”

Journalism noun US /ˈdʒɜːrnəlɪzəm/

newspapers and magazines collectively

From this reading “Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.”

lied noun US /laɪd/

a German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano

From this reading “Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.”

portrayed adjective US /pɔːrˈtreɪd/

represented graphically by sketch or design or lines

From this reading “It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.”

systematic adjective US /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk/

characterized by order and planning

From this reading “Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.”

wider adjective US /ˈwaɪdər/

comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

sensible man adjective + noun

In this reading “It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.”

grows more verb + adjective counted as “grow more”

In this reading “Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.”

grows wider verb + adjective counted as “grow wide”

In this reading “Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.”

become more verb + adjective

In this reading “Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading And what is to be done?

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/

third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

chasmnounUS /ˈkæzəm/

a deep opening in the earth's surface

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

classnounUS /klæs/

a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

classesnounUS /ˈklæsəz/

plural of “class” — a collection of things sharing a common attribute

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/

the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

consciousadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnʃəs/

intentionally conceived

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

consentnounUS /kənˈsent/

permission to do something

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

deliberateadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪbərət/

carefully thought out in advance

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/

characterized by great determination

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

dishonestynounUS /dɪˈsɑːnəsti/

the quality of being dishonest

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading And what is to be done?

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

evidentadjectiveUS /ˈevədənt/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

growsverbUS /ɡroʊz/

third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

indefinitelyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdefənətli/

to an indefinite extent; for an indefinite time

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

intenseadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtens/

possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

intolerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɑːlərəbəl/

incapable of being tolerated or endured

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading And what is to be done?

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

JournalismnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrnəlɪzəm/

newspapers and magazines collectively

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

liednounUS /laɪd/

a German art song of the 19th century for voice and piano

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

MankindnounUS /ˈmænˈkaɪnd/

all of the living human inhabitants of the earth

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

portrayedadjectiveUS /pɔːrˈtreɪd/

represented graphically by sketch or design or lines

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

sensibleadjectiveUS /ˈsensəbəl/

showing reason or sound judgment

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

systematicadjectiveUS /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk/

characterized by order and planning

From this reading Both sides become more conscious, more determined—and so the dishonesty of American Journalism becomes more deliberate, more systematic.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It must be evident to any sensible man that the conditions portrayed in this book are intolerable.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And what is to be done?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And what is to be done?

wideradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdər/

comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Every day the chasm between the classes in America grows wider; every day the class struggle grows more intense.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Mankind will not consent to be lied to indefinitely.

Chapter 38 of The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair holds 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 38 of The Brass Check contain?

Chapter 38 holds 81 sentences of The Brass Check, unabridged, divided into 17 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 81 sentences, grouped into 17 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 38 of The Brass Check?

Work through the 17 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 17 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 Brass Check

Common questions about reading The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Brass Check?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Brass Check is used?

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

How long does The Brass Check take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Brass Check section by section

How to work through The Brass Check section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Brass Check 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 Brass Check

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Brass Check, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Brass Check, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Brass Check, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Brass Check, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.