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The Top of the World
The Top of the World

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Top of the World is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Top of the World
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?
What do you want with me?"
Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.
His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.
He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.
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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 Top of the World

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of The Top of the World is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?
Line 2
What do you want with me?"
/wʌt duː juː wɑːnt wɪð miː/
Line 3
Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.
Line 4
His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.
/hɪz hed wɑːz daʊn ənd hɪz aɪz reɪzd wɪð ə pəˈkjuːljər ˈbruːtɪʃ ɪkˈspreʃən/
Line 5
He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.
/hiː hæd ðə əˈpɪrəns ʌv ə waɪld ˈænəməl ˌmoʊmənˈterəli kaʊd bʌt priˈperɪŋ fɔːr ˈfjʊriəs ˈbætəl/

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.

brutish adjective US /ˈbruːtɪʃ/

resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility

From this reading “His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.”

captor noun US /ˈkæptər/

a person who captures and holds people or animals

From this reading “Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.”

cowed verb US /kaʊd/

past form of “cow” — subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)

From this reading “He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.”

Guy noun US /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading “Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.”

lowering adjective US /ˈloʊərɪŋ/

darkened by clouds

From this reading “Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.”

momentarily adverb US /ˌmoʊmənˈterəli/

for an instant or moment

From this reading “He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.”

preparing verb US /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading “He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.”

Ranger noun US /ˈreɪndʒər/

a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier

From this reading “Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.”

All words in this reading · 48

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 His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

animalnounUS /ˈænəməl/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

brownounUS /braʊ/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

brutishadjectiveUS /ˈbruːtɪʃ/

resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

can't

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

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

captornounUS /ˈkæptər/

a person who captures and holds people or animals

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

CAUSEnounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

cowedverbUS /kaʊd/

past form of “cow” — subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading What do you want with me?"

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

expressionnounUS /ɪkˈspreʃən/

the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

furiousadjectiveUS /ˈfjʊriəs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

GOODadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

GuynounUS /ɡaɪ/

an informal term for a youth or man

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

half-aggressively

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

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

Half-sullenly

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

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/

darkened by clouds

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

momentarilyadverbUS /ˌmoʊmənˈterəli/

for an instant or moment

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

preparingverbUS /priˈperɪŋ/

-ing form of “prepare” — make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

raisedadjectiveUS /reɪzd/

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

RangernounUS /ˈreɪndʒər/

a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Half-sullenly, half-aggressively, Guy Ranger flung the questions, standing with lowering brow before his captor.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading What do you want with me?"

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading His head was down and his eyes raised with a peculiar, brutish expression.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What do you want with me?"

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading He had the appearance of a wild animal momentarily cowed, but preparing for furious battle.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading What do you want with me?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE GOOD CAUSE "Why can't you leave me alone?

Chapter 14 of The Top of the World by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 14 of The Top of the World contain?

Chapter 14 holds 211 sentences of The Top of the World, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The Top of the World by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 14 of The Top of the World?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Top of the World

Common questions about reading The Top of the World by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Top of the World?

Yes. All 10126 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12360 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Top of the World is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12360, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Top of the World take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2026 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Top of the World section by section

How to work through The Top of the World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Top of the World 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 Top of the World

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Top of the World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mistress
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Top of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sylvia
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Top of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ingleton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Top of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Embraced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Top of the World; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.