Chapter 12 of The Thread of Flame is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of The Thread of Flame is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"But why isn’t it?" "For one reason, because I don’t like it." "Oh!" She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her. "What’s the matter with it?"
Chapter 12 of The Thread of Flame is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
for the reason that
From this reading “"For one reason, because I don’t like it."”
not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure
From this reading “She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “"For one reason, because I don’t like it."”
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “"What’s the matter with it?"”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “"For one reason, because I don’t like it."”
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading “"For one reason, because I don’t like it."”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.”
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.
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
for the reason that
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But why isn’t it?"
not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "But why isn’t it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "But why isn’t it?"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading "What’s the matter with it?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh!"
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading "For one reason, because I don’t like it."
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What’s the matter with it?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was not expecting this reply and it displeased her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What’s the matter with it?"
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "But why isn’t it?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "What’s the matter with it?"
Chapter 12 of The Thread of Flame by Basil King holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 12 holds 405 sentences of The Thread of Flame, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of The Thread of Flame by Basil King exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 12 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 Thread of Flame by Basil King on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5316 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #45898 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #45898, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 443 minutes of reading across 1064 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Thread of Flame section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Thread of Flame 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 Thread of Flame, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
