Chapter 20 of The Happy Isles is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Happy Isles is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes. "The tenth of May, 1897. Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?" "No, sir." "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
Chapter 20 of The Happy Isles is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.”
the specified day of the month
From this reading “Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"”
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading “"Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"”
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading “From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.”
To recall to mind.
From this reading “"Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"”
chosen in preference to another
From this reading “Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"”
held in check with difficulty
From this reading “From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.”
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading “"The tenth of May, 1897.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The tenth of May, 1897.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
(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 "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
any thing at all
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
the specified day of the month
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
at any time
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "The tenth of May, 1897.
not any; not one
From this reading "No, sir."
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The tenth of May, 1897.
and nothing more
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
To recall to mind.
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
express in words
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
chosen in preference to another
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
term of address for a man
From this reading "No, sir."
held in check with difficulty
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
express in words
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading "The tenth of May, 1897.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
in or at that place or location
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Did she ever say anything about it, about what kind of day it was, or anything at all that you can remember?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading From the woman there was something like a smothered cry, but the man only took his notes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Did she ever tell you why she selected that date?"
Chapter 20 of The Happy Isles by Basil King holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 20 holds 404 sentences of The Happy Isles, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Happy Isles by Basil King exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 20 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 Happy Isles by Basil King on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9301 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61344 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #61344, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1861 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Happy Isles section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Happy Isles 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 Happy Isles, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
