Chapter 11 of The Explorer is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of The Explorer is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Alec gave her a rapid glance. This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper. During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue. But he made no reply. 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
Chapter 11 of The Explorer is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading “During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.”
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading “During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.”
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading “This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.”
affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason
From this reading “During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.”
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading “During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.”
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading “Alec gave her a rapid glance.”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “But he made no reply.”
free from harm or evil
From this reading “During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.”
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 Alec gave her a rapid glance.
anew
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Alec gave her a rapid glance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
a workplace consisting of a coal mine plus all the buildings and equipment connected with it
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
affected with or marked by frenzy or mania uncontrolled by reason
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Alec gave her a rapid glance.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Alec gave her a rapid glance.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Alec gave her a rapid glance.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But he made no reply.
not any; not one
From this reading But he made no reply.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
above and across; more than
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading Alec gave her a rapid glance.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading But he made no reply.
free from harm or evil
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading 'I've read it over and over again, and I _can't_ understand.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was the first he had heard of another communication to the paper.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading During the frenzied anxiety of those days at the colliery, he had had time to attend to nothing but the pressing work of rescue.
Chapter 11 of The Explorer by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 11 holds 404 sentences of The Explorer, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of The Explorer by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 11 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 Explorer by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5391 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27198 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27198, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 449 minutes of reading across 1079 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Explorer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Explorer 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 Explorer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
