The Mystery of the Ravenspurs

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/22

The Mystery of the Ravenspurs Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors. It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull. The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability. In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky. Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

The Mystery of the Ravenspurs

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

Line 2

It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

Line 3

The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

/ðə ˈwɪndoʊz wɜːr hʌŋ wɪð ˈkɜːrtənz ʌv ðə ˈɔːrdəneri taɪp ðə vəˈniːʃən blaɪndz wɜːr hæf daʊn wɪtʃ ɪn ˌɪtˈself ɪz ə saɪn ʌv ˈmɪdəlˈklæs riˌspektəˈbɪlɪti/

Line 4

In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

Line 5

Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

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.

brant noun US /brænt/

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

From this reading “101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.”

middle-class adjective US /ˈmɪdəlˈklæs/

occupying a socioeconomic position intermediate between those of the lower classes and the wealthy

From this reading “The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.”

practitioner noun US /prækˈtɪʃənər/

someone who practices a learned profession

From this reading “Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.”

respectability noun US /riˌspektəˈbɪlɪti/

honorableness by virtue of being respectable and having a good reputation

From this reading “The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.”

stolid adjective US /ˈstɑːləd/

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited

From this reading “101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.”

traditional adjective US /trəˈdɪʃənəl/

consisting of or derived from tradition

From this reading “It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.”

Venetian noun US /vəˈniːʃən/

a resident of Venice

From this reading “The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.”

woodwork noun US /ˈwʊdwɜːrk/

work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture

From this reading “It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

brass knocker noun + noun

In this reading “It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.”

brass plate noun + noun

In this reading “In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.”

ordinary type noun + noun

In this reading “The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.”

ordinary sense noun + noun

In this reading “Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.”

small brass adjective + noun

In this reading “In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.”

dark red noun + noun

a red color that reflects little light

In this reading “It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.”

In the center preposition + article + noun counted as “in … center”

In this reading “In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.”

name of verb + particle

In this reading “In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

101

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

bearingnounUS /ˈberɪŋ/

relevant relation or interconnection

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

bell-pull

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

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

blindsnounUS /blaɪndz/

plural of “blind” — people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

BRANTnounUS /brænt/

small dark geese that breed in the north and migrate southward

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

brassnounUS /bræs/

an alloy of copper and zinc

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

centernounUS /ˈsɛn.tər/

The middle point or core of an area.

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

curtainsnounUS /ˈkɜːrtənz/

plural of “curtain” — hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

dingyadjectiveUS /ˈdɪndʒi/

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/

mark as different

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

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

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

hungverbUS /hʌŋ/

inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

knockernoun

(Yiddish) a big shot who knows it and acts that way; a boastful immoderate person

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

medicaladjectiveUS /ˈmedəkəl/

relating to the study or practice of medicine

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

middle-classadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəlˈklæs/

occupying a socioeconomic position intermediate between those of the lower classes and the wealthy

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

ordinarynounUS /ˈɔːrdəneri/

a judge of a probate court

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

paintedadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪntɪd/

coated with paint

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

platenounUS /pleɪt/

(baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

practitionernounUS /prækˈtɪʃənər/

someone who practices a learned profession

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

rednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

respectabilitynounUS /riˌspektəˈbɪlɪti/

honorableness by virtue of being respectable and having a good reputation

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

respectableadjectiveUS /rɪˈspektəbəl/

characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

Sergius

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

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

signnounUS /saɪn/

a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

stolidadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːləd/

having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

STREETnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

Tchigorsky

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

From this reading In the center of the red door was a small brass plate bearing the name of Dr. Sergius Tchigorsky.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

traditionaladjectiveUS /trəˈdɪʃənəl/

consisting of or derived from tradition

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

typenounUS /taɪp/

a subdivision of a particular kind of thing

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

VenetiannounUS /vəˈniːʃən/

a resident of Venice

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading 101 BRANT STREET There was nothing about the house to distinguish it from its stolid and respectable neighbors.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

windowsnounUS /ˈwɪndoʊz/

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading The windows were hung with curtains of the ordinary type, the Venetian blinds were half down, which in itself is a sign of middle-class respectability.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

woodworknounUS /ˈwʊdwɜːrk/

work made of wood; especially moldings or stairways or furniture

From this reading It had a dingy face, woodwork painted a dark red with the traditional brass knocker and bell-pull.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Not that Dr. Tchigorsky was a medical practitioner in the ordinary sense of the word.

Chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs contain?

Chapter 3 holds 112 sentences of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs by Fred M. (Fred Merrick) White exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 3 of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Mystery of the Ravenspurs

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Is this the complete text of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs?

Yes. All 8039 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48882 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #48882, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Mystery of the Ravenspurs take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1608 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Mystery of the Ravenspurs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Mystery of the Ravenspurs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Romance: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Detective: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Thibet: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Mystery of the Ravenspurs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter III

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