Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Gilded Age, Part 5.
The Gilded Age, Part 5.

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5. is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Gilded Age, Part 5.
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.
"It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.
What am I going to do to give her up?"
It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.
He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Gilded Age, Part 5.

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5. is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.
Line 2
"It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.
Line 3
What am I going to do to give her up?"
/wʌt æm aɪ ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː duː tuː ɡɪv hɜːr ʌp/
Line 4
It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.
/ɪt siːmd tuː ˈheri ðæt ɪt wɑːz ə ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən riˈkwaɪərɪŋ sʌm ˈæktɪv ˈmeʒərz/
Line 5
He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

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.

accruing verb US /əˈkruːɪŋ/

-ing form of “accrue” — grow by addition

From this reading “He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.”

active adjective US /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading “It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.”

hopelessly adverb US /ˈhoʊpləsli/

in a hopeless manner

From this reading “He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.”

measures noun US /ˈmeʒərz/

plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading “It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.”

Philip noun US /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading “"It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.”

realize verb US /ˈriːəlaɪz/

be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading “He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.”

requiring verb US /riˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

-ing form of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper

From this reading “It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.”

rights noun US /raɪts/

plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature

From this reading “He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

accruingverbUS /əˈkruːɪŋ/

-ing form of “accrue” — grow by addition

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading What am I going to do to give her up?"

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

couldn't

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

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

despondingly

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What am I going to do to give her up?"

don't

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

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

fallenadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlən/

having dropped by the force of gravity

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

fellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading What am I going to do to give her up?"

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

HarryverbUS /ˈheri/

annoy continually or chronically

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

hopelesslyadverbUS /ˈhoʊpləsli/

in a hopeless manner

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading What am I going to do to give her up?"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

It's

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

measuresnounUS /ˈmeʒərz/

plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

passionnounUS /ˈpæʃən/

a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

realizeverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/

be fully aware or cognizant of

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

requiringverbUS /riˈkwaɪərɪŋ/

-ing form of “require” — require as useful, just, or proper

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

rightsnounUS /raɪts/

plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

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

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

situationnounUS /ˌsɪtʃuːˈeɪʃən/

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

talkverbUS /tɔːk/

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

viewnounUS /vjuː/

a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

From this reading "It's easy enough for another fellow to talk," said Harry, despondingly, after he had put Philip in possession of his view of the case.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It seemed to Harry that it was a situation requiring some active measures.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What am I going to do to give her up?"

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading He couldn't realize that he had fallen hopelessly in love without some rights accruing to him for the possession of the object of his passion.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "It's easy enough to say 'give her up,' if you don't care for her.

Chapter 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5. by Mark Twain holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5. contain?

Chapter 8 holds 128 sentences of The Gilded Age, Part 5., unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5. by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 8 of The Gilded Age, Part 5.?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Gilded Age, Part 5.

Common questions about reading The Gilded Age, Part 5. by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Gilded Age, Part 5.?

Yes. All 1486 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5822 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Gilded Age, Part 5. is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5822, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Gilded Age, Part 5. take to read?

About 123 minutes of reading across 298 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Gilded Age, Part 5. section by section

How to work through The Gilded Age, Part 5. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of The Gilded Age, Part 5. 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 Gilded Age, Part 5.

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Gilded Age, Part 5., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chairman
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age, Part 5.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nowhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age, Part 5.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age, Part 5.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Disappointments
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gilded Age, Part 5.; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.