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The Crux: A Novel
The Crux: A Novel

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel is here in full — 316 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/63 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.
Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.
Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.
"You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.
Miss Orella blushed.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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The Crux: A Novel

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel is here in full — 316 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/63 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.
Line 2
Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.
Line 3
Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.
Line 4
"You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.
Line 5
Miss Orella blushed.

Learner Dictionary

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.

blushed verb US /blʌʃt/

past form of “blush” — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

From this reading “Miss Orella blushed.”

compelling adjective US /kəmˈpelɪŋ/

driving or forcing

From this reading “Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.”

floods noun US /flʌdz/

plural of “flood” — the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land

From this reading “THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.”

outbreak noun US /ˈaʊtbreɪk/

a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition)

From this reading “THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.”

overflow noun US /ˈoʊvərfloʊ/

a large flow

From this reading “THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.”

perplexed adjective US /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading “Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.”

rocker noun US /ˈrɑːkər/

an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle

From this reading “Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.”

squarely adverb US /ˈskwerli/

directly and without evasion; not roundabout

From this reading “Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

look up verb + adjective

seek information from

In this reading “Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.”

looked down verb + adjective counted as “look down”

In this reading “Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

armlessadjective

having no arms

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

Bellair

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

blushedverbUS /blʌʃt/

past form of “blush” — turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame

From this reading Miss Orella blushed.

broad-soled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

cheerverbUS /tʃɪr/

give encouragement to

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

compellingadjectiveUS /kəmˈpelɪŋ/

driving or forcing

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

Dr

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

earnestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrnɪst/

characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

FastadverbUS /fæst/

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

floodsnounUS /flʌdz/

plural of “flood” — the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/

a young female

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

irrelevantlyadverb

in an irrelevant manner

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

liftverbUS /lɪft/

raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/

-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

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 THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

low-heeled

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

observedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

Orella

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

OUTBREAKnounUS /ˈaʊtbreɪk/

a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence (usually of some undesirable condition)

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

overflownounUS /ˈoʊvərfloʊ/

a large flow

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

perplexedadjectiveUS /pərˈplekst/

full of difficulty or confusion or bewilderment

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

RiseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

rockernounUS /ˈrɑːkər/

an attendant who rocks a child in a cradle

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

SlowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

squarelyadverbUS /ˈskwerli/

directly and without evasion; not roundabout

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Miss Orella sat in her low armless rocker, lifting perplexed, patient eyes to look up at Dr. Bellair.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Dr. Bellair stood squarely before her, stood easily, on broad-soled, low-heeled shoes, and looked down at Miss Orella; her eyes were earnest, compelling, full of hope and cheer.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading THE OUTBREAK There comes a time After white months of ice-- Slow months of ice--long months of ice-- There comes a time when the still floods below Rise, lift, and overflow-- Fast, far they go.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You are as pretty as a girl, Orella," she observed irrelevantly.

Chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman holds 316 sentences, grouped into 64 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.

What does chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel contain?

Chapter 4 holds 316 sentences of The Crux: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 316 sentences, grouped into 64 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.

How do I study chapter 4 of The Crux: A Novel?

Work through the 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 64 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.

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Crux: A Novel

Common questions about reading The Crux: A Novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Crux: A Novel?

Yes. All 3801 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38551 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Crux: A Novel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38551, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Crux: A Novel take to read?

About 316 minutes of reading across 761 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Crux: A Novel

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Crux: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Women
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crux: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Economics
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crux: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Concerning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crux: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Children
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crux: A Novel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.