Chapter 15 of The Old Man of the Mountain is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Old Man of the Mountain is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MOLES "Give me my bone!" Forrester puzzled over the words. They seemed merely absurd. What could their meaning be? It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
Chapter 15 of The Old Man of the Mountain is here in full — 124 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 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.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading “They seemed merely absurd.”
rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
From this reading “THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"”
putting someone in prison or in jail as lawful punishment
From this reading “It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.”
English film actress who later became a member of British Parliament (born in 1936)
From this reading “It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.”
Canadian explorer (born in England) who explored the Mackenzie River and who was first to cross North America by land north of Mexico (1764-1820)
From this reading “It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.”
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading “What could their meaning be?”
plural of “mole” — the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"”
filled with bewilderment
From this reading “Forrester puzzled over the words.”
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.
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 was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
higher than, or over, something
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading They seemed merely absurd.
later than; following
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
react verbally
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading What could their meaning be?
rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading What could their meaning be?
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Forrester puzzled over the words.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
putting someone in prison or in jail as lawful punishment
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
English film actress who later became a member of British Parliament (born in 1936)
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
Canadian explorer (born in England) who explored the Mackenzie River and who was first to cross North America by land north of Mexico (1764-1820)
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading What could their meaning be?
and nothing more
From this reading They seemed merely absurd.
plural of “mole” — the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
above and across; more than
From this reading Forrester puzzled over the words.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading Forrester puzzled over the words.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They seemed merely absurd.
cause to go somewhere
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MOLES "Give me my bone!"
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading What could their meaning be?
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They seemed merely absurd.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What could their meaning be?
the words that are spoken
From this reading Forrester puzzled over the words.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was a joy to know that Mackenzie or Jackson was above, and had discovered the place of imprisonment; but they must know little about it, after all, or they would be aware that it was impossible to send them an answer.
Chapter 15 of The Old Man of the Mountain by Herbert Strang holds 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 15 holds 124 sentences of The Old Man of the Mountain, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Old Man of the Mountain by Herbert Strang exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 124 sentences, grouped into 25 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 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 25 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 15 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 Old Man of the Mountain by Herbert Strang on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3719 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40751 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40751, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 309 minutes of reading across 744 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Old Man of the Mountain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Old Man of the Mountain 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 Old Man of the Mountain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
