Chapter 4 of The Net is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Net is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh. "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true? The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered. It was like killing sheep." Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
Chapter 4 of The Net is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading “"It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.”
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading “It was like killing sheep."”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.”
killed unlawfully
From this reading “The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.”
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading “Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.”
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading “It was like killing sheep."”
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading “"Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?”
a small tuft or lock
From this reading “Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.”
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 "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading It was like killing sheep."
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
the sound of laughing
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
killed unlawfully
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
absolutely essential
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
on one occasion
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading It was like killing sheep."
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
the commercial exchange (buying and selling on domestic or international markets) of goods and services
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
two times
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
the act of using
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Of what use to learn a trade like mine if one cannot strike true?
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
which person or people
From this reading The knife went home, twice--once for us, once for poor Galli, who was murdered.
a small tuft or lock
From this reading Picking up the wisp of grass which he had dropped, he began to dry his hands once more.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "It is not necessary," Narcone assured him with a laugh.
Chapter 4 of The Net by Rex Beach holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 4 holds 422 sentences of The Net, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Net by Rex Beach exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 Net by Rex Beach on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7443 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6379 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6379, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1489 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Net section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Net 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 Net, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
