Chapter 4 of The Fourth "R" is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Fourth "R" is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Yes sir," the boy said sickly. "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring. If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career." "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him. "You won't, no," he agreed.
Chapter 4 of The Fourth "R" is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
in a reflex manner
From this reading “"I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.”
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading “"But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.”
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading “If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."”
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading “"I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.”
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."”
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading “"But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.”
build again
From this reading “If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."”
unhealthy looking
From this reading “"Yes sir," the boy said sickly.”
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.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading "You won't, no," he agreed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
in a reflex manner
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You won't, no," he agreed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
not any; not one
From this reading "You won't, no," he agreed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
and nothing more
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
build again
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
express in words
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
an educational institution
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
unhealthy looking
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
term of address for a man
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
precisely as stated
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading "I w--" Jimmy began automatically, but his uncle stopped him.
in the company of; together with
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You won't, no," he agreed.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes sir," the boy said sickly.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "But," purred Uncle Paul Brennan, "you may find school very boring.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading If so, you have only to say the word--rebuild your father's machine--and go on with your career."
Chapter 4 of The Fourth "R" by George O. (George Oliver) Smith holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 holds 411 sentences of The Fourth "R", unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Fourth "R" by George O. (George Oliver) Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Fourth "R" by George O. (George Oliver) Smith on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4427 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18602 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #18602, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 368 minutes of reading across 886 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Fourth "R" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of The Fourth "R" 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 Fourth "R", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
