Chapter 4 of The Ten-foot Chain is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Ten-foot Chain is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone. She took her time. She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps. But she was brave, not to say bold. She tossed her head slightly.
Chapter 4 of The Ten-foot Chain is here in full — 448 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/89 · 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.
fearless and daring
From this reading “But she was brave, not to say bold.”
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading “But she was brave, not to say bold.”
controlled or ruled by superior authority or power
From this reading “She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.”
plural of “maiden” — an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading “She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.”
resisting control or authority
From this reading “She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.”
to a small degree or extent
From this reading “She tossed her head slightly.”
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading “She tossed her head slightly.”
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading “She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.”
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.
make oneself visible; take action
In this reading “She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.”
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 She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
Having no one else present.
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
fearless and daring
From this reading But she was brave, not to say bold.
possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
From this reading But she was brave, not to say bold.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
controlled or ruled by superior authority or power
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading She tossed her head slightly.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
plural of “maiden” — an unmarried girl (especially a virgin)
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But she was brave, not to say bold.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
by chance
From this reading She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.
resisting control or authority
From this reading She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.
express in words
From this reading But she was brave, not to say bold.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading She tossed her head slightly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading She took her time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading She took her time.
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading She tossed her head slightly.
create by training and teaching
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate
From this reading She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was a trifle rebellious, perhaps.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She came forward with a number of maidens in her train, but she so dominated them that she appeared to be alone.
Chapter 4 of The Ten-foot Chain by Achmed Abdullah holds 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 448 sentences of The Ten-foot Chain, unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Ten-foot Chain by Achmed Abdullah exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 448 sentences, grouped into 90 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 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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 Ten-foot Chain by Achmed Abdullah on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1815 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32996 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #32996, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 151 minutes of reading across 363 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Ten-foot Chain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of The Ten-foot Chain 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 Ten-foot Chain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
