Chapter 27 of The Nabob is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXVII
Chapter 27 of The Nabob is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Is it possible? How has it happened? What an extraordinary event! Who could ever have suspected such a thing?” And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
Chapter 27 of The Nabob is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading “And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.”
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading “What an extraordinary event!”
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading “What an extraordinary event!”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “How has it happened?”
the sound of laughing
From this reading “And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading ““Is it possible?”
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading “And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.”
believed likely
From this reading “Who could ever have suspected such a thing?””
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 Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading What an extraordinary event!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading What an extraordinary event!
at any time
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading What an extraordinary event!
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading How has it happened?
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading How has it happened?
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How has it happened?
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Is it possible?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Is it possible?
the sound of laughing
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “Is it possible?
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
believed likely
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And suddenly the good old man burst into a great roar of laughter.
a special situation
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What an extraordinary event!
which person or people
From this reading Who could ever have suspected such a thing?”
Chapter 27 of The Nabob by Alphonse Daudet holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 27 holds 152 sentences of The Nabob, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 27 of The Nabob by Alphonse Daudet exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 27 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 Nabob by Alphonse Daudet on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6592 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2077 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2077, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 549 minutes of reading across 1319 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Nabob section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Nabob 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 Nabob, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
