Chapter 3 of The Night Operator is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Night Operator is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?" Doctor McTurk answered. "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens. That's the state of affairs, isn't it?" Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
Chapter 3 of The Night Operator is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/79 · 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.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading “"And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.”
matters of personal concern
From this reading “That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"”
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading “Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.”
a flag that shows its nationality
From this reading “"And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.”
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading “"And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.”
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “"And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.”
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading “"He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"”
past form of “mumble” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading “Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.”
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.
In this reading “"And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.”
In this reading “"He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"”
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 "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
matters of personal concern
From this reading That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
react verbally
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Doctor McTurk answered.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
a flag that shows its nationality
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading Doctor McTurk answered.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Doctor McTurk answered.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
past form of “mumble” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
not any; not one
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
and nothing more
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"
express a supposition
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That's the state of affairs, isn't it?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Carleton didn't answer; Regan only mumbled under his breath.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "And he can't run an engine any more on account of the colors, no matter what happens.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "He's got to work for a living, I suppose--eh?"
Chapter 3 of The Night Operator by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 3 holds 398 sentences of The Night Operator, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Night Operator by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 80 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Night Operator by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4815 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33634 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33634, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 401 minutes of reading across 963 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Night Operator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of The Night Operator 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 Night Operator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
