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 XXXIX · The Mental Munition-Factory

Chapter XXXIX of The Brass Check, “The Mental Munition-Factory,” is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Brass Check
Context Illustration Reading 1/46 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.
This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.
Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.
I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:
The “Municipal News”?
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 XXXIX · The Mental Munition-Factory

Chapter XXXIX of The Brass Check, “The Mental Munition-Factory,” is here in full — 234 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.
Line 2
This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.
Line 3
Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.
Line 4
I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:
/aɪ ˌɪnˈkwaɪr ʌv ðə ˈedətər ʌv ðə ˈpeɪpər fræŋk iː wʊlf ənd hiː raɪts/
Line 5
The “Municipal News”?
/ðə mjuːˈnɪsəpəl nuːz/

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.

advocated verb US /ˈædvəkeɪtɪd/

past form of “advocate” — push for something

From this reading “This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.”

Bryan noun US /ˈbraɪən/

United States lawyer and politician who advocated free silver and prosecuted John Scopes (1925) for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school (1860-1925)

From this reading “This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.”

municipal adjective US /mjuːˈnɪsəpəl/

relating or belonging to or characteristic of a municipality

From this reading “A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.”

orthodox adjective US /ˈɔːrθədɑːks/

of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism

From this reading “This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.”

Socialist noun US /ˈsoʊʃələst/

a political advocate of socialism

From this reading “This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.”

solution noun US /səˈluːʃən/

a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading “A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.”

theories noun US /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading “Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.”

Wolfe noun US /wʊlf/

United States writer who has written extensively on American culture (born in 1931)

From this reading “I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:”

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.

at once preposition + adverb

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

In this reading “A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.”

All words in this reading · 58

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 A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

advocatedverbUS /ˈædvəkeɪtɪd/

past form of “advocate” — push for something

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

Angeles

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

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

anyone's

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

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

BryannounUS /ˈbraɪən/

United States lawyer and politician who advocated free silver and prosecuted John Scopes (1925) for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school (1860-1925)

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

editornounUS /ˈedətər/

a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

factsnounUS /fækts/

plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/

by good fortune

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

FrankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

inquireverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/

address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

Jennings

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

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

Los

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

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

MunicipaladjectiveUS /mjuːˈnɪsəpəl/

relating or belonging to or characteristic of a municipality

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

municipal-owned

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

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

NewsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

orthodoxadjectiveUS /ˈɔːrθədɑːks/

of or pertaining to or characteristic of Judaism

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

SocialistnounUS /ˈsoʊʃələst/

a political advocate of socialism

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

solutionnounUS /səˈluːʃən/

a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances; frequently (but not necessarily) a liquid solution

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

state-owned

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

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

successnounUS /səkˈses/

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A solution that comes at once to mind is state-owned or municipal-owned newspapers.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

William

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

From this reading This is the orthodox Socialist solution, and is also being advocated by William Jennings Bryan.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Fortunately, we do not have to take his theories, or anyone’s theories; we have facts—the experience of Los Angeles with its public paper, the “Municipal News,” which was an entire success.

WolfenounUS /wʊlf/

United States writer who has written extensively on American culture (born in 1931)

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

writesverbUS /raɪts/

third-person singular of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading I inquire of the editor of the paper, Frank E. Wolfe, and he writes:

Chapter 39 of The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair holds 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 39 of The Brass Check contain?

Chapter 39 holds 234 sentences of The Brass Check, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of The Brass Check by Upton Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 234 sentences, grouped into 47 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 39 of The Brass Check?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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.