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The Freelands
The Freelands

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Freelands is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Freelands
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: Oh, very well, young thing!
Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”
Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.
Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.
But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by 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 Freelands

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Freelands is here in full — 169 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!
Line 2
Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”
/ɡoʊ ənd stɪk jɔːr tiːθ ɪn ɪt ənd faɪnd aʊt fɔːr jərˈself/
Line 3
Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.
/ˈsuːnər ɔːr ˈleɪtər ðɪs ˈɔːlweɪz ˈhæpənd ənd ˈdʒenərəli ˈsuːnər ˈnaʊədeɪz/
Line 4
Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.
Line 5
But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.
/bʌt ˈɪnwərdli ðə nuːz hæd ˈɡɪvən hɜːr ə ʃɑːk ˈɔːlmoʊst æz ʃɑːrp æz ðæt felt baɪ 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.

Flora noun US /ˈflɔːrə/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading “Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!”

importance noun US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading “Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.”

inwardly adverb US /ˈɪnwərdli/

with respect to private feelings

From this reading “But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.”

nowadays noun US /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading “Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.”

puppy noun US /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading “Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!”

shock noun US /ʃɑːk/

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading “But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.”

sooner adverb US /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading “Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.”

stick verb US /stɪk/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading “Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!””

All words in this reading · 66

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 Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

BesidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

Felix

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

FloranounUS /ˈflɔːrə/

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

helpverbUS /help/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

inwardlyadverbUS /ˈɪnwərdli/

with respect to private feelings

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

mother-dog

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

nowadaysnounUS /ˈnaʊədeɪz/

the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

puppynounUS /ˈpʌpi/

a young dog

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

shocknounUS /ʃɑːk/

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading But inwardly the news had given her a shock almost as sharp as that felt by him.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

SooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

stickverbUS /stɪk/

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Sooner or later this always happened, and generally sooner nowadays.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Besides, she could not help feeling that she would get more of Felix, to her a matter of greater importance than she gave sign of.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Flora took the news rather with the air of a mother-dog that says to her puppy: “Oh, very well, young thing!

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Go and stick your teeth in it and find out for yourself!”

Chapter 16 of The Freelands by John Galsworthy holds 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 16 of The Freelands contain?

Chapter 16 holds 169 sentences of The Freelands, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Freelands by John Galsworthy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 169 sentences, grouped into 34 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 16 of The Freelands?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Freelands

Common questions about reading The Freelands by John Galsworthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Freelands?

Yes. All 6557 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2309 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Freelands is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2309, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Freelands take to read?

About 546 minutes of reading across 1312 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Freelands section by section

How to work through The Freelands section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Freelands 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 Freelands

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Freelands, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Liberty's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glorious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Feast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Burns
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Freelands; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.