Chapter 10 of The Bread-winners: A Social Study is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Bread-winners: A Social Study is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted. While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door. "Another visitor? I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door. A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
Chapter 10 of The Bread-winners: A Social Study is here in full — 408 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement
From this reading “This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.”
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading “While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.”
plural of “musing” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading “This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.”
inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted
From this reading “This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.”
full of seeds
From this reading “A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.”
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading “A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.”
(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
From this reading “This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.”
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading “While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading "Another visitor?
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
enlightening or uplifting so as to encourage intellectual or moral improvement
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
plural of “musing” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
inflected form of “omit” — prevent from being included or considered or accepted
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
full of seeds
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
(usually in the plural) a necessary commodity for which demand is constant
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
not in physical motion
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
showing fear and lack of confidence
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A seedy, forlorn-looking man came in; he took off his shabby hat and held it under his arm.
someone who visits
From this reading "Another visitor?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was the staple of his musings; other things less edifying still may be omitted.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I'm getting popular," he said, and went to open the door.
during the time that
From this reading While he was engaged in this manner he heard a timid knock at his door.
Chapter 10 of The Bread-winners: A Social Study by John Hay holds 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 408 sentences of The Bread-winners: A Social Study, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Bread-winners: A Social Study by John Hay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 408 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 Bread-winners: A Social Study by John Hay on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4993 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16321 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #16321, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 416 minutes of reading across 999 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Bread-winners: A Social Study section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Bread-winners: A Social Study 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 Bread-winners: A Social Study, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
