Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The river
The river

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The river is here in full — 334 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The river
Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.
She could not stay away a day longer!
Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.
Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.
She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The river

Chapter XXIII

Chapter 23 of The river is here in full — 334 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.
Line 2
She could not stay away a day longer!
/ʃiː kʊd nɑːt steɪ əˈweɪ ə deɪ ˈlɔːŋɡər/
Line 3
Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.
Line 4
Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.
/hɜːr sərˈpraɪz wɑːz stɪl freʃ ˈoʊvər ðə tʃeɪndʒ ɪn hɜːr frendz tuː ɡɜːrlz huː hæd bɪn hɜːr ˈkɑːmrædz ˈdʊrɪŋ hɜːr ənˈfɪnɪʃt ˈkɑːlɪdʒ kɔːrs/
Line 5
She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

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.

caboose noun US /kəˈbuːs/

the area for food preparation on a ship

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

discipline noun US /ˈdɪsəplən/

a branch of knowledge

From this reading “Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.”

gleefully adverb US /ˈɡliːfəli/

in a joyous and gleeful manner

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

Heading noun US /ˈhedɪŋ/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

Junction noun US /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/

the place where two or more things come together

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

nook noun US /nʊk/

a sheltered and secluded place

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

traveled adjective US /ˈtrævəld/

traveled over or through; sometimes used as a combining term

From this reading “A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.”

unfinished adjective US /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/

not brought to the desired final state

From this reading “Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.”

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.

stay away verb + particle

stay clear of, avoid

In this reading “She could not stay away a day longer!”

look after verb + particle

keep under careful scrutiny

In this reading “She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.”

college course noun + noun

In this reading “Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.”

two girls noun + noun counted as “two girl”

In this reading “Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.”

of self-sacrifice preposition + noun

In this reading “She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.”

change in verb + particle

In this reading “Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

Angeles

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

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

caboosenounUS /kəˈbuːs/

the area for food preparation on a ship

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

collegenounUS /ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/

the body of faculty and students of a college

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

comradesnounUS /ˈkɑːmrædz/

plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

disciplinenounUS /ˈdɪsəplən/

a branch of knowledge

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

freshadjectiveUS /freʃ/

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

gleefullyadverbUS /ˈɡliːfəli/

in a joyous and gleeful manner

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

Hamlin

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

HeadingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

INNES

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

JunctionnounUS /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/

the place where two or more things come together

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

Los

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

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

NeveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Never before had Los Angeles been a discipline.

NOOKnounUS /nʊk/

a sheltered and secluded place

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

self-sacrificenoun

acting with less concern for yourself than for the success of the joint activity

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

SOFTadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading She could not stay away a day longer!

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

TomnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading She had left, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, to look after Tom.

traveledadjectiveUS /ˈtrævəld/

traveled over or through; sometimes used as a combining term

From this reading A SOFT NOOK INNES traveled, gleefully, in a caboose, from Hamlin Junction to the Heading.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

unfinishedadjectiveUS /ənˈfɪnɪʃt/

not brought to the desired final state

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Her surprise was still fresh over the change in her friends, two girls who had been her comrades during her unfinished college course.

Chapter 23 of The river by Ednah Aiken holds 334 sentences, grouped into 67 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 23 of The river contain?

Chapter 23 holds 334 sentences of The river, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The river by Ednah Aiken exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 334 sentences, grouped into 67 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.

How do I study chapter 23 of The river?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 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.

Can chapter 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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.

Questions about reading The river

Common questions about reading The river by Ednah Aiken on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The river?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The river is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The river take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The river section by section

How to work through The river section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The river to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The river

Words and structures a reader meets early in The river, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The river, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The river, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The river, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.