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The Man Who Was Afraid
The Man Who Was Afraid

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Man Who Was Afraid
Context Illustration Reading 1/69 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.
He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.
His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.
His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.
He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Man Who Was Afraid

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/69 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.
Line 2
He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.
Line 3
His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.
/hɪz tiːθ ˈfɜːrmli set təˈɡeðər hɪz hændz θrʌst diːp ˈɪntuː hɪz ˈpɑːkəts hiː wɔːkt fɔːr ə fjuː ˈaʊərz ɪn səkˈseʃən əˈbaʊt ðə dɪˈzɜːrtɪd ruːmz ʌv hɪz haʊs hiː ˈstɜːrnli ˈnɪtəd hɪz braʊ ənd ˈkɑːnstəntli θruː hɪz tʃest ˈfɔːrwərd/
Line 4
His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.
/hɪz brest wɑːz tuː ˈneroʊ tuː hoʊld hɪz hɑːrt wɪtʃ wɑːz fɪld wɪð ræθ/
Line 5
He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.
/hiː stæmpt ðə flɔːr wɪð ˈhevi ənd ˈmeʒərd steps æz ðoʊ hiː wɜːr ˈfɔːrdʒɪŋ hɪz ˈæŋɡər/

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.

abuse verb US /əˈbjuːs/

treat badly

From this reading “He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.”

forging noun US /ˈfɔːrdʒɪŋ/

shaping metal by heating and hammering

From this reading “He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.”

insult noun US /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading “He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.”

knitted adjective US /ˈnɪtəd/

made by intertwining threads in a series of connected loops rather than by weaving

From this reading “His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.”

measured adjective US /ˈmeʒərd/

having notes of fixed rhythmic value

From this reading “He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.”

stamped verb US /stæmpt/

past form of “stamp” — walk heavily

From this reading “He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.”

sternly adverb US /ˈstɜːrnli/

with sternness; in a severe manner

From this reading “His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.”

succession noun US /səkˈseʃən/

a following of one thing after another in time

From this reading “His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.”

All words in this reading · 67

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 He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

abuseverbUS /əˈbjuːs/

treat badly

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

chestnounUS /tʃest/

the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

constantlyadverbUS /ˈkɑːnstəntli/

without variation or change, in every case

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

firmlyadverbUS /ˈfɜːrmli/

with resolute determination

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

Foma

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

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

forgingnounUS /ˈfɔːrdʒɪŋ/

shaping metal by heating and hammering

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

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 His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

heavyadjectiveUS /ˈhevi/

of comparatively great physical weight or density

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

insultnounUS /ˌɪnˈsʌlt/

a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

knittedadjectiveUS /ˈnɪtəd/

made by intertwining threads in a series of connected loops rather than by weaving

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

measuredadjectiveUS /ˈmeʒərd/

having notes of fixed rhythmic value

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

Medinskaya

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

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

passionateadjectiveUS /ˈpæʃənət/

having or expressing strong emotions

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

pocketsnounUS /ˈpɑːkəts/

plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

revengefuladjective

disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

roomsnounUS /ruːmz/

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

seizedverbUS /siːzd/

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

stampedverbUS /stæmpt/

past form of “stamp” — walk heavily

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

sternlyadverbUS /ˈstɜːrnli/

with sternness; in a severe manner

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/

a following of one thing after another in time

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

teethnounUS /tiːθ/

the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was burning with a passionate desire to insult Medinskaya, to abuse her.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading His teeth firmly set together, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, he walked for a few hours in succession about the deserted rooms of his house, he sternly knitted his brow, and constantly threw his chest forward.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He stamped the floor with heavy and measured steps, as though he were forging his anger.

WHENconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading WHEN Foma arrived in the city he was seized with sad, revengeful anger.

wrathnounUS /ræθ/

intense anger (usually on an epic scale)

From this reading His breast was too narrow to hold his heart, which was filled with wrath.

Chapter 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid by Maksim Gorky holds 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid contain?

Chapter 6 holds 348 sentences of The Man Who Was Afraid, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid by Maksim Gorky exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 6 of The Man Who Was Afraid?

Work through the 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 70 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Man Who Was Afraid

Common questions about reading The Man Who Was Afraid by Maksim Gorky on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Man Who Was Afraid?

Yes. All 9760 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2709 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Man Who Was Afraid is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2709, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Man Who Was Afraid take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1952 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Man Who Was Afraid section by section

How to work through The Man Who Was Afraid section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Man Who Was Afraid 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 Man Who Was Afraid

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Man Who Was Afraid, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Sixty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Who Was Afraid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Who Was Afraid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortunes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Who Was Afraid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Millions
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Man Who Was Afraid; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.