Chapter 10 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter X
Chapter 10 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well, why?” he demanded defiantly. “I'm old enough to take care of myself.” “You ought to be taking care of her, too.” He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation. “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
Chapter 10 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 225 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/45 · 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.
brought low in spirit
From this reading “He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.”
in a rebellious manner
From this reading ““Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.”
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading ““Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.”
command with authority
From this reading ““I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.”
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading “He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.”
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading ““I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.”
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading “He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.”
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading ““I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.”
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 He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
brought low in spirit
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
in a rebellious manner
From this reading “Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading “Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.
command with authority
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
a statement that makes something comprehensible by describing the relevant structure or operation or circumstances etc.
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
an excavation that is (usually) filled with water
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
on the contrary
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
carry out
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
express in words
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I'm old enough to take care of myself.”
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
(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 “Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He had looked rather crestfallen at that, and before he went out he offered a half-sheepish explanation.
in or at the place that
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Well, why?” he demanded defiantly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You ought to be taking care of her, too.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I'd tell them where I go,” he said, “but you'd think a pool room was on the direct road to hell.
Chapter 10 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 225 sentences, grouped into 45 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 225 sentences of The Breaking Point, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 10 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 225 sentences, grouped into 45 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 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 45 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 Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9105 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1601 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1601, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1821 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Breaking Point section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Breaking Point 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 Breaking Point, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
