Chapter 18 of The Great Diamond Syndicate is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Great Diamond Syndicate is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
MORE SURPRISES. “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house. He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done. He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.” “Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.
Chapter 18 of The Great Diamond Syndicate is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
declared but not proved
From this reading ““The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.”
past form of “bribe” — make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
From this reading “He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.””
young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading ““Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.”
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading “He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.””
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading “He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.”
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading ““The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.”
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading ““The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.”
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading “MORE SURPRISES.”
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.
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 He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
declared but not proved
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
a youthful male person
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
past form of “bribe” — make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading “Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.
an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading MORE SURPRISES.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He might have bribed the clerk or the boy; probably he did.”
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
a person who investigates and reports or edits news stories
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.
plural of “surprise” — the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading MORE SURPRISES.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “The alleged reporter,” said Nick, “was probably waiting about the house.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He knew that a murder had been committed, and his orders probably were to get a line on what was being done.
an affirmative
From this reading “Yes, that is the story,” said Chick.
Chapter 18 of The Great Diamond Syndicate by Nicholas (House name) Carter holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 18 holds 116 sentences of The Great Diamond Syndicate, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Great Diamond Syndicate by Nicholas (House name) Carter exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 18 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 Great Diamond Syndicate by Nicholas (House name) Carter on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4246 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63340 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #63340, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 353 minutes of reading across 850 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Great Diamond Syndicate section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of The Great Diamond Syndicate 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 Great Diamond Syndicate, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
