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The Tinder-Box
The Tinder-Box

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Tinder-Box is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.
Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.
It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.
One thing can be always counted on.
A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Tinder-Box

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Tinder-Box is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.
/ˈdiːpər ðæn ˈʃoʊldərz ənd rɪbz ðer ɑːr ˈmeni ˌfʌndəˈmentəl ˈdɪfərənsɪz bɪˈtwiːn men ənd ˈwɪmən wɪtʃ straɪk ˈdiːpər ðæn bredθ ʌv ˈʃoʊldərz ənd ˈnʌmbər ʌv rɪbz ɑːn ðə raɪt saɪd/
Line 2
Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.
/men dɪˈlɪbərətli əˈnɜːrθ ˈmætərz ʌv ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns ənd ˈwɪmən ˈstʌmbəl ɑːn ðə seɪm θɪŋz ɪn ðə dɑːrk/
Line 3
It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.
/ɪt ɪz ðen ə ˈkwestʃən ʌv ðə ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl æz tuː ðə ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃənz ðæt rɪˈzʌlt/
Line 4
One thing can be always counted on.
/wʌn θɪŋ kæn biː ˈɔːlweɪz ˈkaʊntɪd ɑːn/
Line 5
A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

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.

complications noun US /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “complication” — the act or process of complicating

From this reading “It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.”

differences noun US /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading “DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.”

fundamental adjective US /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.”

straighten verb US /ˈstreɪtən/

straighten up or out; make straight

From this reading “A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.”

stumble verb US /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading “Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.”

tangle noun US /ˈtæŋɡəl/

a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven

From this reading “A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.”

threads noun US /θredz/

informal terms for clothing

From this reading “A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.”

unearth verb US /əˈnɜːrθ/

bring to light

From this reading “Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.”

All words in this reading · 63

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 It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

breadthnounUS /bredθ/

the capacity to understand a broad range of topics

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

complicationsnounUS /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃənz/

plural of “complication” — the act or process of complicating

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

countedverbUS /ˈkaʊntɪd/

past form of “count” — determine the number or amount of

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

DEEPERadverbUS /ˈdiːpər/

comparative of “deeply” — to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/

with intention; in an intentional manner

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

differencesnounUS /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

fundamentaladjectiveUS /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

importancenounUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtəns/

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

leisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/

time available for ease and relaxation

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

likesnounUS /laɪks/

plural of “like” — a similar kind

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

massnounUS /mæs/

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

numbernounUS /ˈnʌmbər/

the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

RIBSnounUS /rɪbz/

plural of “rib” — support resembling the rib of an animal

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

SHOULDERSnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

straightenverbUS /ˈstreɪtən/

straighten up or out; make straight

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

strikeverbUS /straɪk/

deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

stumbleverbUS /ˈstʌmbəl/

walk unsteadily

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

tanglenounUS /ˈtæŋɡəl/

a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

THANconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading One thing can be always counted on.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

threadsnounUS /θredz/

informal terms for clothing

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is then a question of the individual as to the complications that result.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

unearthverbUS /əˈnɜːrθ/

bring to light

From this reading Men deliberately unearth matters of importance and women stumble on the same things in the dark.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading A woman likes to tangle life into a large mass and then straighten out the threads at her leisure--and the man's leisure too.

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading DEEPER THAN SHOULDERS AND RIBS There are many fundamental differences between men and women which strike deeper than breadth of shoulders and number of ribs on the right side.

Chapter 5 of The Tinder-Box by Maria Thompson Daviess holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 5 of The Tinder-Box contain?

Chapter 5 holds 224 sentences of The Tinder-Box, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Tinder-Box by Maria Thompson Daviess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 5 of The Tinder-Box?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

Questions about reading The Tinder-Box

Common questions about reading The Tinder-Box by Maria Thompson Daviess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Tinder-Box?

Yes. All 2049 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14863 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Tinder-Box is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14863, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Tinder-Box take to read?

About 170 minutes of reading across 410 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Tinder-Box section by section

How to work through The Tinder-Box section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Tinder-Box to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Tinder-Box

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Tinder-Box, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Takes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tinder-Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Either
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tinder-Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Loneliness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tinder-Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strength
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Tinder-Box; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.