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The Happy Average
The Happy Average

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Happy Average is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Happy Average
Context Illustration Reading 1/20 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.
When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:
"Hello!
What's the matter?"
Marley shook his head.
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 Happy Average

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Happy Average is here in full — 102 sentences across 21 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/20 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.
Line 2
When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:
Line 3
"Hello!
/həˈloʊ/
Line 4
What's the matter?"
Line 5
Marley shook his head.
/ˈmɑːrli ʃʊk hɪz hed/

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.

Blair noun US /bler/

British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953)

From this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

casually adverb US /ˈkæʒəwəli/

not methodically or according to plan

From this reading “When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:”

Cincinnati noun US /ˌsɪnsəˈnæti/

a city in southern Ohio on the Ohio river

From this reading “When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:”

hack noun US /hæk/

one who works hard at boring tasks

From this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

Hello noun US /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading “"Hello!”

Marley noun US /ˈmɑːrli/

Jamaican singer who popularized reggae (1945-1981)

From this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

Powell noun US /ˈpaʊəl/

United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)

From this reading “When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:”

Wade verb US /weɪd/

walk (through relatively shallow water)

From this reading “When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

without difficulty preposition + noun

In this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

go away verb + particle

move away from a place into another direction

In this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

looked up verb + adjective counted as “look up”

seek information from

In this reading “When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:”

other times adjective + noun

In this reading “MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

BlairnounUS /bler/

British statesman who became prime minister in 1997 (born in 1953)

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

casuallyadverbUS /ˈkæʒəwəli/

not methodically or according to plan

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

CincinnatinounUS /ˌsɪnsəˈnæti/

a city in southern Ohio on the Ohio river

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

hacknounUS /hæk/

one who works hard at boring tasks

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

hackman

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Marley shook his head.

HellonounUS /həˈloʊ/

an expression of greeting

From this reading "Hello!

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

JudgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

Lavinia

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

Lavinia's

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/

Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

lawyernounUS /ˈlɔːjər/

a professional person authorized to practice law; conducts lawsuits or gives legal advice

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

MACOCHEE

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

MarleynounUS /ˈmɑːrli/

Jamaican singer who popularized reggae (1945-1981)

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

Marley's

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

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading What's the matter?"

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

officenounUS /ˈɔːfɪs/

place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

papernounUS /ˈpeɪpər/

a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

PowellnounUS /ˈpaʊəl/

United States general who was the first African American to serve as chief of staff; later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush (born 1937)

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

qualitynounUS /ˈkwɑːləti/

an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading Marley shook his head.

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

WadeverbUS /weɪd/

walk (through relatively shallow water)

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

walknounUS /wɔːk/

the act of traveling by foot

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

What's

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

From this reading What's the matter?"

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

wheneverconjunctionUS /weˈnevər/

at any time that; every time that

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading When Marley reached the office, and found Wade Powell, as he usually found him, sitting with his feet on his table, smoking and reading a Cincinnati paper, the lawyer looked up casually, but when he saw Marley's expression he suddenly exclaimed:

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading MACOCHEE Marley had not learned of Lavinia's departure until Monday afternoon; he had the news from Lawrence, who had it from the hackman who had taken Judge Blair and Lavinia to the train; for whenever any of the quality go away from Macochee they always ride to the station in the hack, though at other times they walk without difficulty all over the town.

Chapter 11 of The Happy Average by Brand Whitlock holds 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 11 of The Happy Average contain?

Chapter 11 holds 102 sentences of The Happy Average, unabridged, divided into 21 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Happy Average by Brand Whitlock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 102 sentences, grouped into 21 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 11 of The Happy Average?

Work through the 21 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 21 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Happy Average

Common questions about reading The Happy Average by Brand Whitlock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Happy Average?

Yes. All 3524 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Happy Average is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #45728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Happy Average take to read?

About 293 minutes of reading across 705 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Happy Average section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 32 chapters of The Happy Average 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 Happy Average

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

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Happy Average; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Infinite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Happy Average; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Variety
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Happy Average; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
District
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Happy Average; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.