Chapter 12 of The pit is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The pit is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'" "Which is to say?" she queried. "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels. They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would." "Will you sell it to them?"
Chapter 12 of The pit is here in full — 417 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “bushel” — a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading “"Which is to say?" she queried.”
a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading “"'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"”
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 "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
react verbally
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
plural of “bushel” — a United States dry measure equal to 4 pecks or 2152.42 cubic inches
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
and nothing more
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
above and across; more than
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
inflected form of “query” — pose a question
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
express in words
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
From this reading "Will you sell it to them?"
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
a frame that supports a boat while it is under construction
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Will you sell it to them?"
in or at that place or location
From this reading They find it hard to get the stuff over there--just as I said they would."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Which is to say?" she queried.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Will you sell it to them?"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading "They want to know how much I would ask for a million bushels.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Will you sell it to them?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "'Answer on one million bushels wheat in your market--stocks lighter than expected, and being cleared up.'"
Chapter 12 of The pit by Frank Norris holds 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 12 holds 417 sentences of The pit, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The pit by Frank Norris exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 417 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 12 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.
