Chapter 5 of The Challenge of the North is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Challenge of the North is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time. When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired. "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine. I built it. It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
Chapter 5 of The Challenge of the North is here in full — 400 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading “I built it.”
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading “It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.”
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.”
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading “When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.”
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading “When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.”
marked by absence of sound
From this reading “McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.”
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading “When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.”
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading “When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.”
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 McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading I built it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
ten 10s
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I built it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading It cost me a hundred thousand dollars--that road did.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But, Orcutt, the tote-road is mine.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading McNabb was silent for what seemed a long time.
at the time that
From this reading When at length he spoke, it was in a voice that sounded dull and tired.
Chapter 5 of The Challenge of the North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx holds 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 5 holds 400 sentences of The Challenge of the North, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Challenge of the North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 400 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 5 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 Challenge of the North by James B. (James Beardsley) Hendryx on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2408 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18366 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18366, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 200 minutes of reading across 482 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Challenge of the North section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Challenge of the North 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 Challenge of the North, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
