Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Inside of the Cup — Complete
The Inside of the Cup — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete is here in full — 597 sentences across 120 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Inside of the Cup — Complete
Context Illustration Reading 1/119 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.
How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!
What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?
Order and design? or influence?
The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.
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 Inside of the Cup — Complete

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete is here in full — 597 sentences across 120 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/119 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.
Line 2
How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!
Line 3
What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?
/wʌt ɪz ɪt ðæt liːdz ʌs tuː ə ˈsɜːrtən mæn ɔːr ˈwʊmən æt ə ˈsɜːrtən taɪm ɔːr tuː ˈoʊ.pən ə ˈsɜːrtən bʊk/
Line 4
Order and design? or influence?
/ˈɔːrdər ənd dɪˈzaɪn ɔːr ˈɪnfluːəns/
Line 5
The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

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.

cafe noun US /kəˈfeɪ/

a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold

From this reading “The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.”

crucial adjective US /ˈkruːʃəl/

of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

From this reading “How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!”

Dalton noun US /ˈdɔːltən/

English chemist and physicist who formulated atomic theory and the law of partial pressures; gave the first description of red-green color blindness (1766-1844)

From this reading “The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.”

nadir noun US /ˈneɪdər/

an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything

From this reading “The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.”

outcome noun US /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

From this reading “I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.”

periods noun US /ˈpɪriədz/

plural of “period” — an amount of time

From this reading “How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!”

portray verb US /pɔːrˈtreɪ/

portray in words

From this reading “I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.”

termed verb US /tɜːrmd/

past form of “term” — name formally or designate with a term

From this reading “The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

accidentsnounUS /ˈæksədənts/

plural of “accident” — an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Order and design? or influence?

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

besidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/

in addition to; as well as

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

cafenounUS /kəˈfeɪ/

a small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/

an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

crucialadjectiveUS /ˈkruːʃəl/

of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

DaltonnounUS /ˈdɔːltən/

English chemist and physicist who formulated atomic theory and the law of partial pressures; gave the first description of red-green color blindness (1766-1844)

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

designnounUS /dɪˈzaɪn/

the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)

From this reading Order and design? or influence?

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

Hodder

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

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

Hodder's

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

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

How

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

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

ignoredadjectiveUS /ˌɪɡˈnɔːrd/

disregarded

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

incidentsnounUS /ˈɪnsədənts/

plural of “incident” — a single distinct event

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading Order and design? or influence?

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

Kate

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

leadsnounUS /liːdz/

plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

Marcy

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

nadirnounUS /ˈneɪdər/

an extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

ordernounUS /ˈɔːrdər/

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

outcomenounUS /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

outwardadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtwərd/

relating to physical reality rather than with thoughts or the mind

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

periodsnounUS /ˈpɪriədz/

plural of “period” — an amount of time

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/

plural of “person” — a human being

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

portrayverbUS /pɔːrˈtreɪ/

portray in words

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading How many persons besides John Hodder have seemed to read--in crucial periods--a meaning into incidents having all the outward appearance of accidents!

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

stumbledverbUS /ˈstʌmbəld/

past form of “stumble” — walk unsteadily

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

termedverbUS /tɜːrmd/

past form of “term” — name formally or designate with a term

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/

lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

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

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The night when he had stumbled into the cafe in Dalton Street might well have been termed the nadir of Hodder's experience.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading I In order to portray this crisis in the life of Kate Marcy, the outcome of which is still uncertain, other matters have been ignored.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading What is it that leads us to a certain man or woman at a certain time, or to open a certain book?

Chapter 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete by Winston Churchill holds 597 sentences, grouped into 120 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete contain?

Chapter 17 holds 597 sentences of The Inside of the Cup — Complete, unabridged, divided into 120 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete by Winston Churchill exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 597 sentences, grouped into 120 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 17 of The Inside of the Cup — Complete?

Work through the 120 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 120 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 Inside of the Cup — Complete

Common questions about reading The Inside of the Cup — Complete by Winston Churchill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Inside of the Cup — Complete?

Yes. All 9936 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5364 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Inside of the Cup — Complete is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5364, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Inside of the Cup — Complete take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1988 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Inside of the Cup — Complete section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Inside of the Cup — 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 Inside of the Cup — Complete

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Inside of the Cup — Complete, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Looking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inside of the Cup — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Extraordinary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inside of the Cup — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Career
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inside of the Cup — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Interesting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Inside of the Cup — Complete; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.