Chapter 3 of The dream detective is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The dream detective is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Triumph!” whispered Zeda. “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’” His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment. The Hymn was continued. This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
Chapter 3 of The dream detective is here in full — 392 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/78 · 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.
move deeply
From this reading “His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.”
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading ““The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’””
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
-ing form of “prove” — be shown or be found to be
From this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
happening again (especially at regular intervals)
From this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
shake, as from cold
From this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
a person who sings
From this reading “His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.”
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
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.
trace
In this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
temporarily
In this reading “His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.”
In this reading “This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.”
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 His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
rid of obstructions
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
without stop or interruption
From this reading The Hymn was continued.
move deeply
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
following the third position; number four in a countable series
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
a particular point in time
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
an uneasy psychological state
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
a brief written record
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
and nothing more
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
-ing form of “prove” — be shown or be found to be
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
happening again (especially at regular intervals)
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
shake, as from cold
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
a person who sings
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
unusual or striking
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading His speech seemed to disturb the singer, but only for a moment.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading This singular performance was proving too much for my nerves; at each recurrence of the quiet, clear note on the fourth beat of the third bar, a cold shudder ran down my spine.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading “Triumph!” whispered Zeda.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Hymn was continued.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “Triumph!” whispered Zeda.
which person or people
From this reading “The ‘Hymn of the Souls Who Are Passing.’”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Triumph!” whispered Zeda.
Chapter 3 of The dream detective by Sax Rohmer holds 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 392 sentences of The dream detective, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The dream detective by Sax Rohmer exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 392 sentences, grouped into 79 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 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 79 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 dream detective by Sax Rohmer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The dream detective section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The dream detective 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 dream detective, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
