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The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery
The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery is here in full — 22 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/4 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LIGHT OF HOPE.
Then commenced the struggle with disease.
Philip Douglas was very ill.
I had not exaggerated the danger.
He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery is here in full — 22 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/4 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LIGHT OF HOPE.
/ðə laɪt ʌv hoʊp/
Line 2
Then commenced the struggle with disease.
/ðen kəˈmenst ðə ˈstrʌɡəl wɪð dɪˈziːz/
Line 3
Philip Douglas was very ill.
/ˈfɪləp ˈdʌɡləs wɑːz ˈveri ɪl/
Line 4
I had not exaggerated the danger.
/aɪ hæd nɑːt ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪtəd ðə ˈdeɪndʒər/
Line 5
He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.
/hiː wɑːz ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs moʊst ʌv ðə taɪm bʌt ɪn spaɪt ʌv ðæt hiː siːmd tuː hæv ə dɪm ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs ðæt ðer wɑːz sʌm ɡʊd ɪn stɔːr fɔːr hɪm/

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.

commenced verb US /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “Then commenced the struggle with disease.”

consciousness noun US /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading “He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.”

dim adjective US /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading “He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.”

disease noun US /dɪˈziːz/

an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

From this reading “Then commenced the struggle with disease.”

Douglas noun US /ˈdʌɡləs/

United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)

From this reading “Philip Douglas was very ill.”

exaggerated adjective US /ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪtəd/

represented as greater than is true or reasonable

From this reading “I had not exaggerated the danger.”

Philip noun US /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading “Philip Douglas was very ill.”

unconscious adjective US /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading “He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.”

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.

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.”

struggle with verb + particle

In this reading “Then commenced the struggle with disease.”

in store preposition + noun

in readiness; awaiting

In this reading “He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.”

All words in this reading · 39

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 He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

commencedverbUS /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Then commenced the struggle with disease.

consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading I had not exaggerated the danger.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/

an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning

From this reading Then commenced the struggle with disease.

DouglasnounUS /ˈdʌɡləs/

United States politician who proposed that individual territories be allowed to decide whether they would have slavery; he engaged in a famous series of debates with Abraham Lincoln (1813-1861)

From this reading Philip Douglas was very ill.

exaggeratedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪtəd/

represented as greater than is true or reasonable

From this reading I had not exaggerated the danger.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I had not exaggerated the danger.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

HOPEnounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading THE LIGHT OF HOPE.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I had not exaggerated the danger.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading Philip Douglas was very ill.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

LIGHTadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading THE LIGHT OF HOPE.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I had not exaggerated the danger.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LIGHT OF HOPE.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading Philip Douglas was very ill.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

storenounUS /stɔːr/

a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

struggleverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəl/

make a strenuous or labored effort

From this reading Then commenced the struggle with disease.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LIGHT OF HOPE.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then commenced the struggle with disease.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

unconsciousadjectiveUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːnʃəs/

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading He was unconscious most of the time, but in spite of that he seemed to have a dim consciousness that there was some good in store for him.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Philip Douglas was very ill.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Philip Douglas was very ill.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then commenced the struggle with disease.

Chapter 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery by Horatio, Jr. Alger holds 22 sentences, grouped into 5 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 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery contain?

Chapter 24 holds 22 sentences of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery by Horatio, Jr. Alger exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 22 sentences, grouped into 5 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 24 of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 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 24 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 24 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 Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery

Common questions about reading The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery by Horatio, Jr. Alger on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery?

Yes. All 2211 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54660 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54660, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery take to read?

About 184 minutes of reading across 443 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery section by section

How to work through The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Social
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shall
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Twenty-nine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.