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The river
The river

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The river is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The river
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.
Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.
This time he expected officially to close the gate.
Claudia was with him.
She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.
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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.

The river

Chapter XXXIV

Chapter 34 of The river is here in full — 243 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.
Line 2
Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.
/ˈmɑːrʃəl wɑːz æt ðə frʌnt əˈɡen ˈhævɪŋ meɪd əˈnʌðər ʌv hɪz swɪft ˈdæʃɪz frʌm ˈtuːsɑːn/
Line 3
This time he expected officially to close the gate.
/ðɪs taɪm hiː ɪkˈspektəd əˈfɪʃəli tuː kloʊs ðə ɡeɪt/
Line 4
Claudia was with him.
Line 5
She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.
/ʃiː ˈnevər left ðə kɑːr ənˈles ɪt wɜːr tuː step aʊt tuː ðə ˈplætfɔːrm tuː siː wʌt ʃiː kʊd frʌm ðer ʌv ðə ˈrɪvər wɜːrk ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ tuː hɜːr wʊl wɜːrk ɪn ðə ˈʃeɪdɪd kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/

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.

compartment noun US /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/

a space into which an area is subdivided

From this reading “She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.”

dashes noun US /ˈdæʃɪz/

plural of “dash” — distinctive and stylish elegance

From this reading “Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.”

Marshall noun US /ˈmɑːrʃəl/

United States actor (1914-1998)

From this reading “Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.”

officially adverb US /əˈfɪʃəli/

in an official role

From this reading “This time he expected officially to close the gate.”

scores noun US /skɔːrz/

a large number or amount

From this reading “THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.”

shaded adjective US /ˈʃeɪdɪd/

protected from heat and light with shade or shadow

From this reading “She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.”

siding noun US /ˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a short stretch of railroad track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass

From this reading “THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.”

Tucson noun US /ˈtuːsɑːn/

a city in southeastern Arizona ringed by mountain ranges; long known as a winter and health resort but the population shift from industrial states to the Sunbelt resulted in rapid growth late in the 20th century

From this reading “Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.”

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.

at the Front preposition + article + noun counted as “at … front”

In this reading “Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.”

All words in this reading · 56

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

Claudia

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

From this reading Claudia was with him.

closeadjectiveUS /kloʊs/

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/

a space into which an area is subdivided

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

dashesnounUS /ˈdæʃɪz/

plural of “dash” — distinctive and stylish elegance

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

DRAGONnounUS /ˈdræɡən/

a creature of Teutonic mythology; usually represented as breathing fire and having a reptilian body and sometimes wings

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

expectedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektəd/

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

FrontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

gatenounUS /ɡeɪt/

a movable barrier in a fence or wall

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Claudia was with him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

immediatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

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 never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

MarshallnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəl/

United States actor (1914-1998)

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

officiallyadverbUS /əˈfɪʃəli/

in an official role

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

Palmyranoun

tall fan palm of Africa and India and Malaysia yielding a hard wood and sweet sap that is a source of palm wine and sugar; leaves used for thatching and weaving

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

platformnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

SCORESnounUS /skɔːrz/

a large number or amount

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

shadedadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪdɪd/

protected from heat and light with shade or shadow

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

sidingnounUS /ˈsaɪdɪŋ/

a short stretch of railroad track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

swiftadjectiveUS /swɪft/

moving very fast

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This time he expected officially to close the gate.

TucsonnounUS /ˈtuːsɑːn/

a city in southeastern Arizona ringed by mountain ranges; long known as a winter and health resort but the population shift from industrial states to the Sunbelt resulted in rapid growth late in the 20th century

From this reading Marshall was at the Front again; having made another of his swift dashes from Tucson.

unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/

except if; if not

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE DRAGON SCORES THE _Palmyra_ was once again on its siding.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Claudia was with him.

woolnounUS /wʊl/

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading She never left the car, unless it were to step out to the platform to see what she could from there of the river work, immediately returning to her wool work in the shaded compartment.

Chapter 34 of The river by Ednah Aiken holds 243 sentences, grouped into 49 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 34 of The river contain?

Chapter 34 holds 243 sentences of The river, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of The river by Ednah Aiken exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 243 sentences, grouped into 49 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 34 of The river?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 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.