Chapter 5 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE POLAR COAL-FIELD. “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?” Such was the first question that presented itself. “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some. “Why should there not be?” said others.
Chapter 5 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 96 sentences across 20 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/19 · 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.
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading “THE POLAR COAL-FIELD.”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Such was the first question that presented itself.”
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Such was the first question that presented itself.”
having a pair of equal and opposite charges
From this reading “THE POLAR COAL-FIELD.”
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading ““But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?””
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “Such was the first question that presented itself.”
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “Such was the first question that presented itself.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ““Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.”
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.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE POLAR COAL-FIELD.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “Why should there not be?” said others.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why should there not be?” said others.
having a pair of equal and opposite charges
From this reading THE POLAR COAL-FIELD.
a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE POLAR COAL-FIELD.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “But are there any coal-fields at the Pole?”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Such was the first question that presented itself.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why should there be coal at the Pole?” said some.
Chapter 5 of The Purchase of the North Pole by Jules Verne holds 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 5 holds 96 sentences of The Purchase of the North Pole, unabridged, divided into 20 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Purchase of the North Pole by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 96 sentences, grouped into 20 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 20 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 20 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 5 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 Purchase of the North Pole by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1947 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60242 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #60242, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 162 minutes of reading across 390 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Purchase of the North Pole section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of The Purchase of the North Pole 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 Purchase of the North Pole, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
