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The Hosts of the Air
The Hosts of the Air

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Hosts of the Air is here in full — 382 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/76 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.
Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.
He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.
He had made the impossible possible.
He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Hosts of the Air

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Hosts of the Air is here in full — 382 sentences across 77 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/76 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.
Line 2
Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.
/jʌŋ lʌv ɪz pjʊr ənd ˈnoʊbəl ə spɑːnˈteɪniəs ɪˈmoʊʃən ðæt hæz ˈnʌθɪŋ ɪn ɪt ʌv ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃən ənd ðə waɪld ənd streɪndʒ ˈsetɪŋ ʌv hɪz roʊˈmæns ˈmɪrli sɜːrvd tuː ˈdiːpən hɪz ˈfiːlɪŋz/
Line 3
He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.
/hiː wɑːz ðə jʌŋ kruːˈseɪdər əˈɡen ə naɪt ˈkʌmɪŋ tuː ˈreskjuː hɪz ˈleɪdi frʌm ðə hændz ʌv ðə ˈɪnfɪdelz/
Line 4
He had made the impossible possible.
/hiː hæd meɪd ðə ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl ˈpɑːsəbəl/
Line 5
He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.
/hiː hæd siːn hɜːr ənd ˈspoʊkən wɪð hɜːr ənd dɪˈspaɪt hɪz ˈpezənt kloʊðz ənd hɪz pəˈzɪʃən ʌv ə ˈmiːniəl ðæt hiː hæd ˈwɪlɪŋli ˈteɪkən ʃiː hæd noʊn hɪm æt wʌns/

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.

crusader noun US /kruːˈseɪdər/

a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading “He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.”

deepen verb US /ˈdiːpən/

make more intense, stronger, or more marked

From this reading “Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.”

efficient adjective US /ɪˈfɪʃənt/

being effective without wasting time or effort or expense

From this reading “THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.”

hostler noun US /ˈhɑːslər/

someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses

From this reading “THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.”

infidels noun US /ˈɪnfɪdelz/

plural of “infidel” — a person who does not acknowledge your god

From this reading “He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.”

menial adjective US /ˈmiːniəl/

used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

From this reading “He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.”

pulses noun US /ˈpʌlsɪz/

plural of “pulse” — (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

From this reading “THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.”

spontaneous adjective US /spɑːnˈteɪniəs/

happening or arising without apparent external cause

From this reading “Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.”

All words in this reading · 74

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 Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

calculationnounUS /ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃən/

the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

crusadernounUS /kruːˈseɪdər/

a disputant who advocates reform

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

deepenverbUS /ˈdiːpən/

make more intense, stronger, or more marked

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

despiteprepositionUS /dɪˈspaɪt/

although something is true; in spite of

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

EFFICIENTadjectiveUS /ɪˈfɪʃənt/

being effective without wasting time or effort or expense

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

Elysianadjective

relating to the Elysian Fields

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

feelingsnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋz/

emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

FieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

grassverbUS /ɡræs/

shoot down, of birds

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had made the impossible possible.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

HOSTLERnounUS /ˈhɑːslər/

someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading He had made the impossible possible.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

infidelsnounUS /ˈɪnfɪdelz/

plural of “infidel” — a person who does not acknowledge your god

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

knightnounUS /naɪt/

originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He had made the impossible possible.

menialadjectiveUS /ˈmiːniəl/

used of unskilled work (especially domestic work)

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/

impressive in appearance

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

peasantnounUS /ˈpezənt/

a country person

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading He had made the impossible possible.

pulsesnounUS /ˈpʌlsɪz/

plural of “pulse” — (electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

rescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

romancenounUS /roʊˈmæns/

a relationship between two lovers

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

ScottnounUS /skɑːt/

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/

past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

settingnounUS /ˈsetɪŋ/

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

spontaneousadjectiveUS /spɑːnˈteɪniəs/

happening or arising without apparent external cause

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

stablesnounUS /ˈsteɪbəlz/

plural of “stable” — a farm building for housing horses or other livestock

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

throbbingnounUS /ˈθrɑːbɪŋ/

an instance of rapid strong pulsation (of the heart)

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

trodverbUS /trɑːd/

inflected form of “tread” — put down or press the foot, place the foot

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was the young crusader again, a knight coming to rescue his lady from the hands of the infidels.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

willinglyadverbUS /ˈwɪlɪŋli/

in a willing manner

From this reading He had seen her and spoken with her, and despite his peasant clothes and his position of a menial that he had willingly taken, she had known him at once.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE EFFICIENT HOSTLER When John Scott returned to the stables his pulses were still throbbing with joy and he trod the grass of the Elysian Fields.

YoungadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Young love is pure and noble, a spontaneous emotion that has nothing in it of calculation, and the wild and strange setting of his romance merely served to deepen his feelings.

Chapter 11 of The Hosts of the Air by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler holds 382 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Hosts of the Air contain?

Chapter 11 holds 382 sentences of The Hosts of the Air, unabridged, divided into 77 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Hosts of the Air by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 382 sentences, grouped into 77 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 Hosts of the Air?

Work through the 77 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 77 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 Hosts of the Air

Common questions about reading The Hosts of the Air by Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander) Altsheler on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Hosts of the Air?

Yes. All 5209 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15285 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Hosts of the Air is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15285, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Hosts of the Air take to read?

About 434 minutes of reading across 1042 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Hosts of the Air section by section

How to work through The Hosts of the Air section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Hosts of the Air 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 Hosts of the Air

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Hosts of the Air, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Young
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hosts of the Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shaving
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hosts of the Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Rested
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hosts of the Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Broad
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Hosts of the Air; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.