Chapter 20 of The Secret Places of the Heart is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of The Secret Places of the Heart is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The doctor did understand. He made no vain objections. He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee. “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed. You won’t go.
Chapter 20 of The Secret Places of the Heart is here in full — 218 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 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 special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading “He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.”
plural of “objection” — the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest
From this reading “He made no vain objections.”
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading “He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.”
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading “He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.”
an athlete who plays for pay
From this reading ““Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.”
a medical instrument for listening to the sounds generated inside the body
From this reading ““Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.”
plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something
From this reading “He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.”
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading “He made no vain objections.”
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.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The doctor did understand.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The doctor did understand.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading You won’t go.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He made no vain objections.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
immediately past
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He made no vain objections.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
not any; not one
From this reading He made no vain objections.
plural of “objection” — the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest
From this reading He made no vain objections.
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
an athlete who plays for pay
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
a medical instrument for listening to the sounds generated inside the body
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
plural of “struggle” — an energetic attempt to achieve something
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The doctor did understand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading The doctor did understand.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading He made no vain objections.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He did what he could to patch up his friend for his last struggles with the opposition in the Committee.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You won’t go.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Pro forma,” he said, stethoscope in hand, “I must order you to bed.
Chapter 20 of The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells holds 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 218 sentences of The Secret Places of the Heart, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of The Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 218 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 Secret Places of the Heart by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4621 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1734 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1734, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 385 minutes of reading across 925 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Secret Places of the Heart section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Secret Places of the Heart 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 Secret Places of the Heart, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
