Chapter 31 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXXI
Chapter 31 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said. “And David needs a rest. Doctor Reynolds is in the office. I haven't told him yet.” The two men exchanged glances.
Chapter 31 of The Breaking Point is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading ““And David needs a rest.”
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading “The two men exchanged glances.”
plural of “glance” — a quick look
From this reading “The two men exchanged glances.”
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading ““And David needs a rest.”
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading “Doctor Reynolds is in the office.”
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
From this reading “Doctor Reynolds is in the office.”
plural of “spoil” — (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war)
From this reading ““You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.”
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading ““You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.”
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 “And David needs a rest.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “And David needs a rest.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading “And David needs a rest.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
changed for (replaced by) something different
From this reading The two men exchanged glances.
plural of “glance” — a quick look
From this reading The two men exchanged glances.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I haven't told him yet.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I haven't told him yet.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I haven't told him yet.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
the force of workers available
From this reading The two men exchanged glances.
in such a manner as could not be otherwise
From this reading “And David needs a rest.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading “And David needs a rest.
English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy (1723-1792)
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
plural of “spoil” — (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war)
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Doctor Reynolds is in the office.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I haven't told him yet.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The two men exchanged glances.
but in spite of that
From this reading I haven't told him yet.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You'd better have your supper before it spoils,” she said.
Chapter 31 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 31 holds 235 sentences of The Breaking Point, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 31 of The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 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.
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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 31 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.
