Chapter 20 of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Do you hear?" I asked. "Yes," said he, "I do. If you wish to fight, I am ready. If not, go on and save Clara.
Chapter 20 of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “I asked.”
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading “If you wish to fight, I am ready.”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “"Do you hear?"”
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “If you wish to fight, I am ready.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “"Yes," said he, "I do.”
except for; apart from
From this reading “If not, go on and save Clara.”
hope for; have a wish
From this reading “If you wish to fight, I am ready.”
an affirmative
From this reading “"Yes," said he, "I do.”
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 form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do you hear?"
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Yes," said he, "I do.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "Do you hear?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Yes," said he, "I do.
except for; apart from
From this reading If not, go on and save Clara.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading If you wish to fight, I am ready.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," said he, "I do.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Do you hear?"
Chapter 20 of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English by Julian [Editor] Hawthorne holds 193 sentences, grouped into 39 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.
Chapter 20 holds 193 sentences of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English by Julian [Editor] Hawthorne exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 193 sentences, grouped into 39 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 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 20 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 Lock and Key Library — Modern English by Julian [Editor] Hawthorne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8025 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2038 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2038, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1605 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Lock and Key Library — Modern English section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Lock and Key Library — Modern English 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 Lock and Key Library — Modern English, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
