Chapter 3 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?" I asked, steadying my voice with an effort. He nodded. I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time. Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
Chapter 3 of The Red Symbol is here in full — 112 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
possessive form of “carson” — United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)
From this reading “THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"”
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
obtain
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading “Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?”
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading “I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.”
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 “I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.”
In this reading “THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"”
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 I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
acted upon; influenced
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
in addition
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
possessive form of “carson” — United States biologist remembered for her opposition to the use of pesticides that were hazardous to wildlife (1907-1964)
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
set up or found
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
obtain
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He nodded.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
possessive form of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading He nodded.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
precisely, exactly
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
causing to become steady
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
express in words
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I affected to examine the portrait closely, to gain a moment's time.
someone who visits
From this reading Should I tell him, right now, that I knew the original; tell him also of my strange visitant?
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE RIVER STEPS "This was found in Carson's pocket?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading I asked, steadying my voice with an effort.
Chapter 3 of The Red Symbol by John Ironside holds 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 3 holds 112 sentences of The Red Symbol, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Red Symbol by John Ironside exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 112 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 3 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 Red Symbol by John Ironside on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5338 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31860 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31860, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 444 minutes of reading across 1068 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Red Symbol section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Red Symbol 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 Red Symbol, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
