The Turnstile

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Turnstile is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

"But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

I want it kept a secret."

"Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Chapter XX Reading 1/43

The Turnstile

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Turnstile is here in full — 216 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

Line 2

Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

/ˈsɪnθiə æskt hɪm ˈoʊvər ðə ˈteləfoʊn ðə nekst deɪ tuː kʌm tuː hɜːr ənd wen hiː keɪm ʃiː toʊld hɪm ʌv hɜːr enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

Line 3

"But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

/bʌt noʊ wʌn noʊz ʌv ɪt æz jet ɪkˈsept jərˈself ʃiː ˈædəd ənd noʊ wʌn ɪz tuː noʊ fɔːr ðə ˈprezənt/

Line 4

I want it kept a secret."

/aɪ wɑːnt ɪt kept ə ˈsiː.krət/

Line 5

"Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

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.

affair noun US /əˈfer/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading “AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.”

curiously adverb US /ˈkjʊriəsli/

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading “"Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.”

Cynthia noun US /ˈsɪnθiə/

(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana

From this reading “Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.”

engagement noun US /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

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

From this reading “Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.”

odd adjective US /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading “AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.”

satisfied adjective US /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading “AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.”

secret noun US /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading “I want it kept a secret."”

telephone noun US /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading “Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.”

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.

next day adjective + noun

In this reading “Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.”

odd thing adjective + noun

In this reading “AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.”

over the telephone preposition + article + noun counted as “over … telephone”

In this reading “Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.”

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 I want it kept a secret."

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

affairnounUS /əˈfer/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

Benoliel

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

CULVER

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading "Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

CynthianounUS /ˈsɪnθiə/

(Greek mythology) the virgin goddess of the hunt and the Moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

engagementnounUS /enˈɡeɪdʒmənt/

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

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I want it kept a secret."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading I want it kept a secret."

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

knowsnounUS /noʊz/

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Oh!" said Mr. Benoliel, looking at her curiously.

satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/

filled with satisfaction

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

secretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading I want it kept a secret."

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

telephonenounUS /ˈteləfoʊn/

electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I want it kept a secret."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading AT CULVER The odd thing in the affair, however, was that Mr. Benoliel did not seem satisfied.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Cynthia asked him over the telephone the next day to come to her, and when he came she told him of her engagement.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading "But no one knows of it as yet except yourself," she added; "and no one is to know, for the present.

Chapter 20 of The Turnstile by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason holds 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 20 of The Turnstile contain?

Chapter 20 holds 216 sentences of The Turnstile, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Turnstile by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 216 sentences, grouped into 44 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 20 of The Turnstile?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Turnstile

Common questions about reading The Turnstile by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Turnstile?

Yes. All 8014 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38689 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Turnstile is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #38689, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Turnstile take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1603 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Turnstile

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

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Chapter XX

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