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The heart of London
The heart of London

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The heart of London is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The heart of London
Context Illustration Reading 1/87 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"
We gave him one.
On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.
Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.
You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.
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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 heart of London

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The heart of London is here in full — 435 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/87 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"
/kʊd juː hiː sed lend miː ə ˈpensəl/
Line 2
We gave him one.
/wiː ɡeɪv hɪm wʌn/
Line 3
On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.
/ɑːn əˈnʌðər flɔːr aɪ faʊnd ðə ˈɔːrdəneri seɪfs mʌtʃ les spekˈtækjələr ðæn ðə vɔːlts bʌt aɪ θɪŋk mɔːr ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/
Line 4
Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.
/hiːr ɪt ɪz ðæt men ənd ˈwɪmən haɪd ðer ˈsmɔːlər ˈtreʒərz/
Line 5
You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.
/juː kæn hæv kwaɪt ə naɪs ˈlɪtəl seɪf bɪɡ ɪˈnʌf tuː teɪk ə per ʌv ʃuːz fɔːr ˈtwentifaɪv ˈʃɪlɪŋz ə jɪr/

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.

lend verb US /lend/

bestow a quality on

From this reading “"Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"”

pencil noun US /ˈpensəl/

a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood

From this reading “"Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"”

safes noun US /seɪfs/

plural of “safe” — strongbox where valuables can be safely kept

From this reading “On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.”

shillings noun US /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading “You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.”

spectacular adjective US /spekˈtækjələr/

sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect

From this reading “On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.”

treasures noun US /ˈtreʒərz/

plural of “treasure” — accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading “Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.”

twenty-five adjective US /ˈtwentifaɪv/

being five more than twenty

From this reading “You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.”

vaults noun US /vɔːlts/

plural of “vault” — a burial chamber (usually underground)

From this reading “On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.”

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.

big enough adjective + noun

In this reading “You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.”

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 "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

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

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading We gave him one.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

hideverbUS /haɪd/

prevent from being seen or discovered

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading We gave him one.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

interestingadjectiveUS /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

lendverbUS /lend/

bestow a quality on

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

niceadjectiveUS /naɪs/

pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading We gave him one.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

pencilnounUS /ˈpensəl/

a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

safesnounUS /seɪfs/

plural of “safe” — strongbox where valuables can be safely kept

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

shoesnounUS /ʃuːz/

a particular situation

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/

small or little relative to something else

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

spectacularadjectiveUS /spekˈtækjələr/

sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

treasuresnounUS /ˈtreʒərz/

plural of “treasure” — accumulated wealth in the form of money or jewels etc.

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

twenty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifaɪv/

being five more than twenty

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

vaultsnounUS /vɔːlts/

plural of “vault” — a burial chamber (usually underground)

From this reading On another floor I found the ordinary safes, much less spectacular than the vaults, but, I think, more interesting.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We gave him one.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Here it is that men and women hide their smaller treasures.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading You can have quite a nice little safe big enough to take a pair of shoes for twenty-five shillings a year.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Could you," he said, "lend me a pencil?"

Chapter 4 of The heart of London by H. V. (Henry Vollam) Morton holds 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 4 of The heart of London contain?

Chapter 4 holds 435 sentences of The heart of London, unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The heart of London by H. V. (Henry Vollam) Morton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 435 sentences, grouped into 87 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 4 of The heart of London?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 heart of London

Common questions about reading The heart of London by H. V. (Henry Vollam) Morton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The heart of London?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The heart of London is used?

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The heart of London

Words and structures a reader meets early in The heart of London, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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