Chapter 20 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“That's my advice. I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.” He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed. “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented. “Married?”
Chapter 20 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 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.
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading ““That's my advice.”
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading “He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.”
a boy or man
From this reading ““Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.”
past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on
From this reading ““Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.”
an expert who gives advice
From this reading “I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.””
third-person singular of “continue” — continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading “I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.””
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading “He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.”
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading “I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.””
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 I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
a proposal for an appropriate course of action
From this reading “That's my advice.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
a flexible container with a single opening
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.
a boy or man
From this reading “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.
past form of “comment” — make or write a comment on
From this reading “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.
an expert who gives advice
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
third-person singular of “continue” — continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion
From this reading “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Big fine-looking chap, isn't he?” he commented.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
joined in matrimony
From this reading “Married?”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “That's my advice.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That's my advice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I'll look in later, and if the stupor continues I'll have in a consultant.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He picked up his bag and stood looking down at the bed.
Chapter 20 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 20 holds 227 sentences of The Breaking Point, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 46 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 46 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 20 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.
