Chapter 8 of The Pillar of Light is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Pillar of Light is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight. "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer." "All the more reason why you should not fall. Wait here a moment. I must have a look at the hospital."
Chapter 8 of The Pillar of Light is here in full — 348 sentences across 70 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/69 · 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.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading “I must have a look at the hospital."”
an intervening period or episode
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
having a sharp inclination
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
a person suffering from an illness
From this reading “"If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."”
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
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 “"All the more reason why you should not fall.”
take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
In this reading “I must have a look at the hospital."”
come down
In this reading “AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.”
In this reading “Wait here a moment.”
In this reading “I must have a look at the hospital."”
In this reading “"All the more reason why you should not fall.”
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 Wait here a moment.
(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 "All the more reason why you should not fall.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I must have a look at the hospital."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
a person who is in charge
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
a lake in southeastern Germany on the northern side of the Swiss Alps; forms part of the Rhine River
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I must have a look at the hospital."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Wait here a moment.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading I must have a look at the hospital."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
an intervening period or episode
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading I must have a look at the hospital."
a particular point in time
From this reading Wait here a moment.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "All the more reason why you should not fall.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading I must have a look at the hospital."
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "All the more reason why you should not fall.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "All the more reason why you should not fall.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "All the more reason why you should not fall.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
having a sharp inclination
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
a person suffering from an illness
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
at or nearest to the top
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
precisely as stated
From this reading AN INTERLUDE "Please be careful; these stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lantern close to her companion's feet as they climbed down the topmost flight.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Wait here a moment.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "All the more reason why you should not fall.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer."
Chapter 8 of The Pillar of Light by Louis Tracy holds 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 8 holds 348 sentences of The Pillar of Light, unabridged, divided into 70 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Pillar of Light by Louis Tracy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 348 sentences, grouped into 70 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 70 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 70 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 8 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.
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Yes. All 5796 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40912 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #40912, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 483 minutes of reading across 1160 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Pillar of Light section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of The Pillar of Light 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 Pillar of Light, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
