The Socialist

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Socialist is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Guy Thorne • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter IV Reading 1/34

The Socialist

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Socialist is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

Line 2

London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

/ˈlʌndən wɑːz ə ˈsɪti ʌv ˈdɑːrknəs ənd ɡluːm ə ˈverɪtəbəl ˈsɪti ʌv ˈdredfəl naɪt/

Line 3

The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

/ðə fɑːɡ wɑːz ˈevriwer ɪt wɑːz ˈbɪtər koʊld ənd ɔːl ðə laɪts ɪn ðə ʃɑːps ənd ðə læmps ɪn ðə striːts wɜːr lɪt/

Line 4

As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

Line 5

It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

/ɪt hæd nɑːt dɪˈsendəd æz ɪt dɪd ˈleɪtər ɑːn ɪn ðə deɪ ˈɪntuː ðə ˈæktʃəwəl striːts ðemˈselvz/

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.

actual adjective US /ˈæktʃəwəl/

presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

From this reading “It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.”

bomb noun US /bɑːm/

an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions

From this reading “THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.”

destroyed adjective US /dɪˈstrɔɪd/

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading “THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.”

explosion noun US /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/

a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction

From this reading “THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.”

fog noun US /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading “The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.”

lamps noun US /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading “The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.”

shops noun US /ʃɑːps/

plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading “The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.”

veritable adjective US /ˈverɪtəbəl/

often used as intensifiers

From this reading “London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."”

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.

few yards adjective + noun counted as “few yard”

In this reading “As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.”

dreadful night adjective + noun

In this reading “London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."”

in the streets preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

actualadjectiveUS /ˈæktʃəwəl/

presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

BEARDnounUS /bɪrd/

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

bombnounUS /bɑːm/

an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

darknessnounUS /ˈdɑːrknəs/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

descendedverbUS /dɪˈsendəd/

past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

destroyedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrɔɪd/

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

dreadfuladjectiveUS /ˈdredfəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

explosionnounUS /ɪkˈsploʊʒən/

a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

façade

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

fognounUS /fɑːɡ/

droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

gloomnounUS /ɡluːm/

a state of partial or total darkness

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

house-tops

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

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

lampsnounUS /læmps/

plural of “lamp” — an artificial source of visible illumination

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

litadjectiveUS /lɪt/

provided with artificial light

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

MUSTARD-COLOURED

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

Paddington

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

Piccadilly

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/

plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading It had not descended, as it did later on in the day, into the actual streets themselves.

veritableadjectiveUS /ˈverɪtəbəl/

often used as intensifiers

From this reading London was a city of darkness and gloom, a veritable "city of dreadful night."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The fog was everywhere, it was bitter cold, and all the lights in the shops and the lamps in the streets were lit.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE MAN WITH THE MUSTARD-COLOURED BEARD It was the morning of the day on which part of the façade of Paddington House, Piccadilly, was destroyed by the explosion of a bomb.

yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading As yet the fog was some few yards above the house-tops.

Chapter 4 of The Socialist by Guy Thorne holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 4 of The Socialist contain?

Chapter 4 holds 172 sentences of The Socialist, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Socialist by Guy Thorne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 4 of The Socialist?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 4 be read aloud to me?

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.

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Yes. All 4951 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40734 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #40734, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 412 minutes of reading across 991 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Socialist

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Story: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Socialist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Socialist; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter IV

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