Chapter 4 of The Slowcoach is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Slowcoach is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty. Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time. "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished. "Ripping! Nothing better."
Chapter 4 of The Slowcoach is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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 procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
From this reading “"A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.”
get or ask advice from
From this reading “Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.”
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading “THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.”
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading “"A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.”
plural of “item” — a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
From this reading “THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.”
resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
From this reading “"Ripping!”
a person, without saying who
From this reading “THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.”
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading “Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.”
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 "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
later than; following
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Nothing better."
a procession (of wagons or mules or camels) traveling together in single file
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
get or ask advice from
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
one or the other of two
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
plural of “item” — a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
a form of address for a man
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing better."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree
From this reading "Ripping!
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "A caravan!" he said, after she had finished.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
a person, without saying who
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
which person or people
From this reading THE ITEMS Mr. Lenox either knew everything, or knew someone who knew everything, so that he was always certain to be able to help in any difficulty.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work
From this reading Mrs. Avory wrote to him to come round and consult with her about it, and he was there at tea time.
Chapter 4 of The Slowcoach by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 4 holds 132 sentences of The Slowcoach, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Slowcoach by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 4 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 Slowcoach by E. V. (Edward Verrall) Lucas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3149 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2086 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2086, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 262 minutes of reading across 630 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Slowcoach section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of The Slowcoach 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 Slowcoach, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
