Chapter 9 of The Ne'er-Do-Well is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Ne'er-Do-Well is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?" Kirk stirred uncomfortably. "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained. "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand. I--I really want to work.
Chapter 9 of The Ne'er-Do-Well is here in full — 404 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
surprising greatly
From this reading “"On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.”
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading “"On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.”
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading “"Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.”
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading “"Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"”
a Scottish church
From this reading “Kirk stirred uncomfortably.”
kept in good condition
From this reading “"Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.”
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading “Kirk stirred uncomfortably.”
in physical discomfort
From this reading “Kirk stirred uncomfortably.”
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.
surprising greatly
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
any thing at all
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
make a sudden movement in a new direction so as to avoid
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
comparative of “easy” — posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
a Scottish church
From this reading Kirk stirred uncomfortably.
kept in good condition
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
a thing, without saying which
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Kirk stirred uncomfortably.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
a special situation
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
hard to endure
From this reading "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he maintained.
in physical discomfort
From this reading Kirk stirred uncomfortably.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has happened--something I can't quite understand.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I--I really want to work.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
Chapter 9 of The Ne'er-Do-Well by Rex Beach holds 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 9 holds 404 sentences of The Ne'er-Do-Well, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Ne'er-Do-Well by Rex Beach exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 404 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 9 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 Ne'er-Do-Well by Rex Beach on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9399 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5405 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5405, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1880 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ne'er-Do-Well section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Ne'er-Do-Well 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 Ne'er-Do-Well, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
