Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Immortals — Complete
The Immortals — Complete

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of The Immortals — Complete is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Immortals — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/75 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.
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 Immortals — Complete

Chapter XXXVIII

Chapter 38 of The Immortals — Complete is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/75 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.
Line 2
Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.
Line 3
Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).
/sɪns ˈjestərdeɪ wiː hæv hæd ə trəˈmendəs stɔːrm ʌv reɪn ənd waɪnd ə ˌtaɪˈfuːn ðæt hæz pæst ɔːr ɪz ˈpæsɪŋ ˈoʊvər ʌs/
Line 4
We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.
Line 5
The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

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.

bamboo noun US /bæmˈbuː/

the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

butterflies noun US /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/

plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

grasses noun US /ˈɡræsəz/

plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

gusts noun US /ɡʌsts/

plural of “gust” — a strong current of air

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

hover verb US /ˈhʌvər/

be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

tosses noun US /ˈtɔːsɪz/

plural of “toss” — the act of flipping a coin

From this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

typhoon noun US /ˌtaɪˈfuːn/

a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans

From this reading “Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).”

yearnings noun US /ˈjɜːrnɪŋz/

plural of “yearning” — prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading “STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.”

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.

steep slopes adjective + noun counted as “steep slope”

In this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

hissing sound noun + noun

In this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

hover around verb + particle

In this reading “The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.”

bad weather adjective + noun

weather unsuitable for outdoor activities

In this reading “We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.”

five days noun + noun

In this reading “Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.”

Since yesterday preposition + noun

In this reading “Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).”

in the middle preposition + article + noun counted as “in … middle”

In this reading “We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.”

passed since verb + particle counted as “pass since”

In this reading “Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.”

All words in this reading · 87

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.

24th

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

From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

bamboonounUS /bæmˈbuː/

the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction and crafts and fishing poles

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

bendverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

butterfliesnounUS /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/

plural of “butterfly” — diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

Chrysantheme

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

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

grassesnounUS /ˈɡræsəz/

plural of “grass” — narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

gustsnounUS /ɡʌsts/

plural of “gust” — a strong current of air

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/

a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

hoververbUS /ˈhʌvər/

be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

leavesnounUS /liːvz/

plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

lowadjectiveUS /loʊ/

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

NearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/

above your head; in the sky

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

painnounUS /peɪn/

a symptom of some physical hurt or disorder

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

passingnounUS /ˈpæsɪŋ/

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

precautionnounUS /priˈkɔːʃən/

a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/

housing available for people to live in

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

rackverbUS /ræk/

go at a rack

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

shiververbUS /ˈʃɪvər/

tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Nearly five days have passed since I abandoned my little house and Chrysantheme.

slopesnounUS /sloʊps/

plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

steepadjectiveUS /stiːp/

having a sharp inclination

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

STRANGEadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

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

From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

terribleadjectiveUS /ˈterəbəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

topmasts

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

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

tossesnounUS /ˈtɔːsɪz/

plural of “toss” — the act of flipping a coin

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

tremendousadjectiveUS /trəˈmendəs/

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

typhoonnounUS /ˌtaɪˈfuːn/

a tropical cyclone occurring in the western Pacific or Indian oceans

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

writhes

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

From this reading The butterflies no longer hover around us; everything tosses and writhes overhead: on the steep slopes of the mountain the trees shiver, the long grasses bend low as if in pain; terrible gusts rack them with a hissing sound; branches, bamboo leaves, and earth fall like rain upon us.

yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading We beat to quarters in the middle of the night to lower the topmasts, strike the lower yards, and take every precaution against bad weather.

YEARNINGSnounUS /ˈjɜːrnɪŋz/

plural of “yearning” — prolonged unfulfilled desire or need

From this reading STRANGE YEARNINGS August 24th.

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading Since yesterday we have had a tremendous storm of rain and wind (a typhoon that has passed or is passing over us).

Chapter 38 of The Immortals — Complete by Various holds 378 sentences, grouped into 76 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 38 of The Immortals — Complete contain?

Chapter 38 holds 378 sentences of The Immortals — Complete, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 38 of The Immortals — Complete by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 378 sentences, grouped into 76 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 38 of The Immortals — Complete?

Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 76 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 38 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 38 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 Immortals — Complete

Common questions about reading The Immortals — Complete by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Immortals — Complete?

Yes. All 78995 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4000 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Immortals — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4000, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Immortals — Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 15799 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Immortals — Complete section by section

How to work through The Immortals — Complete section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Immortals — Complete 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 Immortals — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Immortals — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Immortals — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Desvarennes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Immortals — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ancient
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Immortals — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mansion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Immortals — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.