Chapter 11 of The Hero is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of The Hero is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter." "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife. I shouldn't like you to be an atheist." "Atheism is exploded, Mary. Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
Chapter 11 of The Hero is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading “"No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."”
a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods
From this reading “"Atheism is exploded, Mary.”
someone who does not believe in the existence of a god
From this reading “I shouldn't like you to be an atheist."”
-ing form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading “"No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."”
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading “"Atheism is exploded, Mary.”
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading “Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."”
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading “Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."”
by chance
From this reading “Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."”
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.
In this reading “"No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."”
In this reading “Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."”
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.
the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I shouldn't like you to be an atheist."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
a lack of belief in the existence of God or gods
From this reading "Atheism is exploded, Mary.
someone who does not believe in the existence of a god
From this reading I shouldn't like you to be an atheist."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
-ing form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading "Atheism is exploded, Mary.
the act of departing
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Atheism is exploded, Mary.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I shouldn't like you to be an atheist."
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading "Atheism is exploded, Mary.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
not any; not one
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
and nothing more
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
by chance
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I shouldn't like you to be an atheist."
express in words
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "No; but I don't see the advantage of discussing the matter."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
precisely as stated
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Only very ignorant persons are certain of what they cannot possibly know."
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I think you ought to tell me as I'm going to be your wife.
Chapter 11 of The Hero by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 11 holds 424 sentences of The Hero, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of The Hero by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Hero by W. Somerset (William Somerset) Maugham on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4952 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27063 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27063, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 412 minutes of reading across 991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Hero section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Hero 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 Hero, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
