Chapter 7 of The Modern Vikings is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of The Modern Vikings is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.” “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say. Now I begin to understand. Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American. “Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman.
Chapter 7 of The Modern Vikings is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
disposed to please
From this reading ““I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.””
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading ““I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.””
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading ““I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.””
plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading ““Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.”
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading ““Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.”
a short musical composition with words
From this reading “Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.”
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading ““I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.””
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading “Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.”
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.
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.
disposed to please
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
any thing at all
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Now I begin to understand.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
plural of “italian” — a native or inhabitant of Italy
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
engage in
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
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 “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
a native or inhabitant of Norway
From this reading “Indeed I can!” cried the Norseman.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now I begin to understand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.
a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
express in words
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading Perhaps you can make a song about me,” suggested the American.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Aha, you are a sort of poet--an _improvisatore_, as the Italians say.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading Now I begin to understand.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I know a great many songs,” he said, with a determination to appear amiable; “and what is more, I can make songs about anything you choose.”
Chapter 7 of The Modern Vikings by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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.
Chapter 7 holds 448 sentences of The Modern Vikings, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of The Modern Vikings by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 7 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 Modern Vikings by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3173 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #53070 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #53070, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 264 minutes of reading across 635 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Modern Vikings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Modern Vikings 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 Modern Vikings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
