Chapter 4 of The Crow's Nest is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Crow's Nest is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular. The rich are not really a bad lot. We must not judge by appearances. If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us. But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
Chapter 4 of The Crow's Nest is here in full — 445 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading “We must not judge by appearances.”
plural of “assertion” — a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading “We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.”
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading “But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.”
exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
From this reading “If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.”
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading “We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.”
as might be expected
From this reading “But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.”
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading “We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.”
plural of “weakness” — a flaw or weak point
From this reading “But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “The rich are not really a bad lot.”
make visible
In this reading “But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.”
In this reading “We must not judge by appearances.”
In this reading “If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.”
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 The rich are not really a bad lot.
plural of “appearance” — outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading We must not judge by appearances.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
plural of “assertion” — a declaration that is made emphatically (as if no supporting evidence were necessary)
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
third-person singular of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We must not judge by appearances.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading We must not judge by appearances.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading We must not judge by appearances.
as might be expected
From this reading But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
possessing material wealth
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The rich are not really a bad lot.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We believe these assertions are mistaken in every particular.
plural of “weakness” — a flaw or weak point
From this reading But money brings out their weaknesses, naturally.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If it weren't for their money they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us.
Chapter 4 of The Crow's Nest by Clarence Day holds 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 4 holds 445 sentences of The Crow's Nest, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Crow's Nest by Clarence Day exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 445 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 4 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 Crow's Nest by Clarence Day on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2669 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31480 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31480, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 222 minutes of reading across 534 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Crow's Nest section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of The Crow's Nest 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 Crow's Nest, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
