Chapter 20 of The Research Magnificent is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Research Magnificent is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Safe now,” he said compactly. The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake. Amanda was struggling with profound problems. “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked. “Without going back.”
Chapter 20 of The Research Magnificent is here in full — 209 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/41 · 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 restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle
From this reading “The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.”
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading “The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.”
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading “The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.”
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading “The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.”
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading “The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.”
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “Amanda was struggling with profound problems.”
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading “Amanda was struggling with profound problems.”
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading “Amanda was struggling with profound problems.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “Without going back.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
a restraint used to slow or stop a vehicle
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
in a compact manner or state
From this reading “Safe now,” he said compactly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
the act of departing
From this reading “Without going back.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Safe now,” he said compactly.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Safe now,” he said compactly.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading “Safe now,” he said compactly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Safe now,” he said compactly.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
with low volume
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
precisely as stated
From this reading The driver appeared to be murmuring prayers very softly as he examined the brake.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Amanda was struggling with profound problems.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “Without going back.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Why didn't you drive down in the first place?” she asked.
Chapter 20 of The Research Magnificent by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells holds 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 20 holds 209 sentences of The Research Magnificent, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Research Magnificent by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 209 sentences, grouped into 42 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 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 42 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 20 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 Research Magnificent by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6977 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1138 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1138, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 581 minutes of reading across 1396 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Research Magnificent section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 36 chapters of The Research Magnificent 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 Research Magnificent, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
