Chapter 3 of The Dead Alive 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 III
Chapter 3 of The Dead Alive is here in full — 227 sentences across 46 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MOONLIGHT MEETING. “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here? We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.” “You are quite right in America. Pray sit down.”
Chapter 3 of The Dead Alive 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.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading “We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.””
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading “We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.””
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading “We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.””
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading ““I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?”
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading “THE MOONLIGHT MEETING.”
the light of the Moon
From this reading “THE MOONLIGHT MEETING.”
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
From this reading ““I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?”
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading “Pray sit down.””
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.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
a formal event performed on a special occasion
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Pray sit down.”
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading THE MOONLIGHT MEETING.
the light of the Moon
From this reading THE MOONLIGHT MEETING.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer
From this reading Pray sit down.”
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “You are quite right in America.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “You are quite right in America.
be seated
From this reading Pray sit down.”
express in speech
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
be standing; be upright
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOONLIGHT MEETING.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We are not accustomed to stand much on ceremony in America.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I WANT to speak to you,” Naomi began “You don’t think ill of me for following you out here?
Chapter 3 of The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins holds 227 sentences, grouped into 46 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 3 holds 227 sentences of The Dead Alive, unabridged, divided into 46 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the 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 3 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 Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1539 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #7891 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #7891, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 128 minutes of reading across 308 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dead Alive section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Dead Alive 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 Dead Alive, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
