Chapter 4 of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS. The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office. I went to him in fear and trembling. I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me. I found him all smiles and affability.
Chapter 4 of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/13 · 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.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading “The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.”
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading “I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.”
-ing form of “desire” — feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.”
marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm
From this reading “I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.”
easily agitated
From this reading “I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.”
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading “A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.”
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading “The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.”
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading “I found him all smiles and affability.”
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 A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.
a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)
From this reading I found him all smiles and affability.
(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 I found him all smiles and affability.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I went to him in fear and trembling.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
-ing form of “desire” — feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading I went to him in fear and trembling.
set up or found
From this reading I found him all smiles and affability.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
yet to be or coming
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.
easily agitated
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading A CHANGE IN MY PROSPECTS.
-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading I found him all smiles and affability.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
a shaky motion
From this reading I went to him in fear and trembling.
precisely as stated
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The next day, I was surprised at receiving a message from Mr. Moncton desiring me to attend him in his private office.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I went to him in fear and trembling.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I was ill, nervous and dispirited, and cared very little as to what in future might become of me.
Chapter 4 of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) by Susanna Moodie holds 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 4 holds 67 sentences of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) by Susanna Moodie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 14 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 4 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 Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) by Susanna Moodie on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2934 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20835 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20835, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 244 minutes of reading across 587 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2) 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 Monctons: A Novel. Volume 1 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
