Chapter 4 of The pit is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The pit is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler." "Not in the least. I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better. He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have. I know him like a book.
Chapter 4 of The pit is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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 written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading “I know him like a book.”
English botanical writer and publisher (1746-1799)
From this reading “I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.”
a social unit living together
From this reading “He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading “I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.”
apprehended with certainty
From this reading “I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.”
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading “"Not in the least.”
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading “"Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."”
no person; not anyone
From this reading “I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.”
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 as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading I know him like a book.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
English botanical writer and publisher (1746-1799)
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
a social unit living together
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I know him like a book.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Not in the least.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know him like a book.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Not in the least.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I know him like a book.
wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
no person; not anyone
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Not in the least.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading He's as old a family friend as Charlie and I have.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Not in the least.
a late time of life
From this reading I've known Curtis Jadwin now for fifteen years--nobody better.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Oh, I'm sure you're mistaken, Mrs. Cressler."
Chapter 4 of The pit by Frank Norris holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 414 sentences of The pit, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The pit by Frank Norris exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 pit by Frank Norris on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 8642 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4382, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1729 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The pit section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The pit 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 pit, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
