Chapter 5 of The River of Life, and Other Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The River of Life, and Other Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
‘Yes. I am the chairman,’ said the latter. ‘What is your business?’ ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’ The barristers began to shift in their seats.
Chapter 5 of The River of Life, and Other Stories is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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 formal organization of people or groups of people
From this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
plural of “barrister” — a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution
From this reading “The barristers began to shift in their seats.”
the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
From this reading “I am the chairman,’ said the latter.”
plural of “delegate” — a person appointed or elected to represent others
From this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading “The barristers began to shift in their seats.”
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading “The barristers began to shift in their seats.”
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
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 “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
In this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
In this reading “‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’”
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 ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
a formal organization of people or groups of people
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
plural of “barrister” — a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution
From this reading The barristers began to shift in their seats.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading ‘What is your business?’
the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
plural of “delegate” — a person appointed or elected to represent others
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
a man of refinement
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
be a signal for or a symptom of
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘What is your business?’
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
an area that includes places where several people can sit
From this reading The barristers began to shift in their seats.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading The barristers began to shift in their seats.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I am the chairman,’ said the latter.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The barristers began to shift in their seats.
plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
moved around an axis or center
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
used to ask for information about something
From this reading ‘What is your business?’
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
an affirmative
From this reading ‘Yes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘We--all whom you see before you,’ the gentleman began in a quiet voice and turned round to indicate his companions, ‘we come as delegates from the United Rostov-Kharkov-and-Odessa-Nicolaiev Association of Thieves.’
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘What is your business?’
Chapter 5 of The River of Life, and Other Stories by A. I. (Aleksandr Ivanovich) Kuprin holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 5 holds 425 sentences of The River of Life, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The River of Life, and Other Stories by A. I. (Aleksandr Ivanovich) Kuprin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 5 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 River of Life, and Other Stories by A. I. (Aleksandr Ivanovich) Kuprin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4268 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #58406 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #58406, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 355 minutes of reading across 854 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The River of Life, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The River of Life, and Other Stories 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 River of Life, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
