The Purchase of the North Pole

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jules Verne • Curated US English Learning Edition

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J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

The Sun travels a degree in four minutes, and the times given by the newspapers for some of the cities was as follows:— Berlin 11.20 a.m. Constantinople 11.26 a.m. London 9.30 a.m. Madrid 9.15 a.m. Paris 9.40 a.m. St. Petersburg 11.31 a.m. Rome 10.20 a.m. Calcutta 3.

4 p.m. Nanking 5.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XIX Reading 1/25

The Purchase of the North Pole Jules Verne

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED. The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror. The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known. The Sun travels a degree in four minutes, and the times given by the newspapers for some of the cities was as follows:— Berlin 11.20 a.m. Constantinople 11.26 a.m. London 9.30 a.m. Madrid 9.15 a.m. Paris 9.40 a.m. St. Petersburg 11.31 a.m. Rome 10.20 a.m. Calcutta 3. 4 p.m. Nanking 5.

The Purchase of the North Pole

Chapter XIX

Chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole is here in full — 125 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

Line 2

The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

Line 3

The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

/ðə ˈnuːzpeɪpərz tʊk ker ðæt ðə ɪɡˈzækt ˈmoʊmənt ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndɪŋ tuː ˈmɪdnaɪt æt kɪˌliːmənˈdʒɑːroʊ ʃʊd biː ˈθɜːroʊli wel noʊn/

Line 4

Line 5

4 p.m. Nanking 5.

Learner Dictionary

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.

Calcutta noun US /ˌkælˈkʌtə/

the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding

From this reading “The Sun travels a degree in four minutes, and the times given by the newspapers for some of the cities was as follows:— Berlin 11.20 a.m. Constantinople 11.26 a.m. London 9.30 a.m. Madrid 9.15 a.m. Paris 9.40 a.m. St. Petersburg 11.31 a.m. Rome 10.20 a.m. Calcutta 3.”

capitals noun US /ˈkæpətəlz/

plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading “The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.”

Constantinople noun US /ˌkɑːnstæntəˈnoʊpəl/

the largest city and former capital of Turkey

humbler adjective US /ˈhʌmbələr/

comparative of “humble” — low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading “The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.”

Kilimanjaro noun US /kɪˌliːmənˈdʒɑːroʊ/

the highest peak in Africa; located in northeastern Tanzania; 19,340 feet high

From this reading “The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.”

lynched verb US /lɪntʃt/

past form of “lynch” — kill without legal sanction

From this reading “J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.”

Madrid noun US /məˈdrɪd/

the capital and largest city situated centrally in Spain; home of an outstanding art museum

Nanking noun US /ˈnæŋkɪŋ/

a city in eastern China on the Yangtze River; a former capital of China; the scene of a Japanese massacre in the 1930s

From this reading “4 p.m. Nanking 5.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

took care verb + noun counted as “take care”

be careful, prudent, or watchful

In this reading “The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.”

well known adverb + adjective

In this reading “The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.”

less important adverb + adjective

In this reading “The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.”

four minutes noun + noun

In this reading “The Sun travels a degree in four minutes, and the times given by the newspapers for some of the cities was as follows:— Berlin 11.20 a.m. Constantinople 11.26 a.m. London 9.30 a.m. Madrid 9.15 a.m. Paris 9.40 a.m. St. Petersburg 11.31 a.m. Rome 10.20 a.m. Calcutta 3.”

exact moment adjective + noun

In this reading “The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.”

in a paroxysm preposition + article + noun counted as “in … paroxysm”

In this reading “The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.”

All words in this reading · 79

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.

10.20

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Sun travels a degree in four minutes, and the times given by the newspapers for some of the cities was as follows:— Berlin 11.20 a.m. Constantinople 11.26 a.m. London 9.30 a.m. Madrid 9.15 a.m. Paris 9.40 a.m. St. Petersburg 11.31 a.m. Rome 10.20 a.m. Calcutta 3.

11.20

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

11.26

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

11.31

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 4 p.m. Nanking 5.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading 4 p.m. Nanking 5.

9.15

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

9.30

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

9.40

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

BerlinnounUS /bərˈlɪn/

capital of Germany located in eastern Germany

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

CalcuttanounUS /ˌkælˈkʌtə/

the largest city in India and one of the largest cities in the world; located in eastern India; suffers from poverty and overcrowding

capitalsnounUS /ˈkæpətəlz/

plural of “capital” — assets available for use in the production of further assets

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/

plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

ConstantinoplenounUS /ˌkɑːnstæntəˈnoʊpəl/

the largest city and former capital of Turkey

correspondingadjectiveUS /ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndɪŋ/

accompanying

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/

a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/

Strictly particular and correct.

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

followsverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊz/

third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

globenounUS /ɡloʊb/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

HEpronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

humbleradjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbələr/

comparative of “humble” — low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

JnounUS /dʒeɪ/

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

KilimanjaronounUS /kɪˌliːmənˈdʒɑːroʊ/

the highest peak in Africa; located in northeastern Tanzania; 19,340 feet high

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

LYNCHEDverbUS /lɪntʃt/

past form of “lynch” — kill without legal sanction

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

mnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

MadridnounUS /məˈdrɪd/

the capital and largest city situated centrally in Spain; home of an outstanding art museum

MASTON

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

midnightnounUS /ˈmɪdnaɪt/

12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

NankingnounUS /ˈnæŋkɪŋ/

a city in eastern China on the Yangtze River; a former capital of China; the scene of a Japanese massacre in the 1930s

From this reading 4 p.m. Nanking 5.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

pnounUS /piː/

a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms

From this reading 4 p.m. Nanking 5.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

paroxysmnoun

a sudden uncontrollable attack

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

PetersburgnounUS /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/

a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War

REGRETSnounUS /rɪˈɡrets/

a polite refusal of an invitation

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

RomenounUS /roʊm/

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

rulenounUS /ruːl/

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

SunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

terrornounUS /ˈterər/

an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/

in an exhaustive manner

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

travelsnounUS /ˈtrævəlz/

plural of “travel” — the act of going from one place to another

villagesnounUS /ˈvɪlədʒəz/

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

waitingnounUS /ˈweɪtɪŋ/

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

WASauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading J. T. MASTON REGRETS HE WAS NOT LYNCHED.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The newspapers took care that the exact moment corresponding to midnight at Kilimanjaro should be thoroughly well known.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The capitals of the globe—and also the less important towns, and even the humbler villages—were, as a rule, waiting for the result in a paroxysm of terror.

Chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole by Jules Verne holds 125 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.

What does chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole contain?

Chapter 19 holds 125 sentences of The Purchase of the North Pole, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of The Purchase of the North Pole by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 125 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.

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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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #60242, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in The Purchase of the North Pole

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Chapter XIX

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