Chapter 5 of The Great Secret is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Great Secret is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"MR. GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise. It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before. "You!" I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
Chapter 5 of The Great Secret is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
showing careful forethought
From this reading “GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.”
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading “GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.”
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading “I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.”
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading “It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.”
the sound of light blow or knock
From this reading “GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.”
thick woolen fabric used for clothing; originated in Scotland
From this reading “It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.”
someone who visits
From this reading “GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.”
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 GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
Having no one else present.
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
showing careful forethought
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
a form of address for a man
From this reading "MR.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
on one occasion
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the sound of light blow or knock
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
in or at that place or location
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
thick woolen fabric used for clothing; originated in Scotland
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
someone who visits
From this reading GUEST" I had been alone for nearly an hour before there came a cautious tapping at my door, I opened it at once, and stared at my visitor in surprise.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I exclaimed; "what the mischief are you doing here?"
which person or people
From this reading It was the man in the grey tweed suit, who had broken into my room the night before.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You!"
Chapter 5 of The Great Secret by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 5 holds 196 sentences of The Great Secret, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Great Secret by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 5 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 Secret by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6422 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9872 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9872, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 535 minutes of reading across 1285 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Great Secret section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Great Secret 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 Secret, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
