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The Twin Ventriloquists
The Twin Ventriloquists

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.
Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.
He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.
He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.
The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Twin Ventriloquists

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.
/aɪk meɪks ə moʊst rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl dɪˈskʌvəri ənd ˈɔːlsoʊ pɪks ʌp kluːz wɪtʃ eˈneɪbəl hɪm tuː stɑːrt aʊt ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli ɑːn ə ˈʃæd.oʊ fɔːr ðə bɑːnd θiːvz/
Line 2
Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.
/aɪk hæd hɪz oʊn səˈspɪʃənz bʌt hiː dɪd nɑːt ˈprɑːdʒekt ðem/
Line 3
He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.
/hiː wɑːz ˈɡoʊɪŋ ˈveri sloʊ æz hiː hoʊpt tuː drɔː ðə oʊld mæn ɑːn ənd fɔːrs hɪm tuː ə ˈveri ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ kənˈfeʃən/
Line 4
He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.
Line 5
The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:
/ðə oʊld mæn ˈlɪsənd əˈtentɪvli ənd bɪˈtreɪd kənˈsɪdərəbəl ɪˈmoʊʃən ənd hiː ˈmʌtərd/

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.

attentively adverb US /əˈtentɪvli/

with attention; in an attentive manner

From this reading “The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:”

clues noun US /kluːz/

plural of “clue” — a slight indication

From this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

ike noun US /aɪk/

United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)

From this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

intelligently adverb US /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

picks noun US /pɪks/

plural of “pick” — the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

project verb US /ˈprɑːdʒekt/

communicate vividly

From this reading “Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.”

Sidney noun US /ˈsɪdni/

English poet (1554-1586)

From this reading “He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.”

straightforward adjective US /ˈstreɪtˈfɔːrwərd/

free from ambiguity

From this reading “He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.”

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.

listened attentively verb + particle counted as “listen attentively”

In this reading “The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:”

PICKS UP verb + adjective counted as “pick up”

take and lift upward

In this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

MOST REMARKABLE adverb + adjective

In this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading “He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.”

told the story verb + article + noun counted as “tell … story”

In this reading “He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.”

simple manner adjective + noun

In this reading “He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.”

START OUT verb + adjective

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

In this reading “IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

ALSOadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

attentivelyadverbUS /əˈtentɪvli/

with attention; in an attentive manner

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

betrayedverbUS /bɪˈtreɪd/

past form of “betray” — reveal unintentionally

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

BONDnounUS /bɑːnd/

an electrical force linking atoms

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

CLUESnounUS /kluːz/

plural of “clue” — a slight indication

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

confessionnounUS /kənˈfeʃən/

an admission of misdeeds or faults

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

considerableadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərəbəl/

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

DISCOVERYnounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

drawverbUS /drɔː/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

ENABLEverbUS /eˈneɪbəl/

render capable or able for some task

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

forcenounUS /fɔːrs/

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

HIMpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

hopedverbUS /hoʊpt/

past form of “hope” — expect and wish

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

IKEnounUS /aɪk/

United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany; 34th President of the United States (1890-1961)

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

INTELLIGENTLYadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/

in an intelligent manner

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

MAKESnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

MOSTadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

mutteredverbUS /ˈmʌtərd/

past form of “mutter” — talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice

From this reading The old man listened attentively and betrayed considerable emotion, and he muttered:

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

OUTadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

PICKSnounUS /pɪks/

plural of “pick” — the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

projectverbUS /ˈprɑːdʒekt/

communicate vividly

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

REMARKABLEadjectiveUS /rɪˈmɑːrkəbəl/

unusual or striking

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

Sara

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

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

SHADOWnounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

SidneynounUS /ˈsɪdni/

English poet (1554-1586)

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

slowadjectiveUS /sloʊ/

not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

STARTverbUS /stɑːrt/

take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/

so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

straightforwardadjectiveUS /ˈstreɪtˈfɔːrwərd/

free from ambiguity

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

suspicionsnounUS /səˈspɪʃənz/

plural of “suspicion” — an impression that something might be the case

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Ike had his own suspicions, but he did not project them.

THIEVESnounUS /θiːvz/

plural of “thief” — a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He told the story of Sara Sidney--told it in a straightforward, simple manner.

UPadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was going very slow, as he hoped to draw the old man on and force him to a very startling confession.

WHICHpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading IKE MAKES A MOST REMARKABLE DISCOVERY AND ALSO PICKS UP CLUES WHICH ENABLE HIM TO START OUT INTELLIGENTLY ON A SHADOW FOR THE BOND THIEVES.

Chapter 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists by Old Sleuth holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists contain?

Chapter 8 holds 186 sentences of The Twin Ventriloquists, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists by Old Sleuth exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 8 of The Twin Ventriloquists?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 Twin Ventriloquists

Common questions about reading The Twin Ventriloquists by Old Sleuth on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Twin Ventriloquists?

Yes. All 2189 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43765 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Twin Ventriloquists is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #43765, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Twin Ventriloquists take to read?

About 182 minutes of reading across 438 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Twin Ventriloquists

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

Nimble
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Twin Ventriloquists; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Encounters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Twin Ventriloquists; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Extraordinary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Twin Ventriloquists; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventure
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Twin Ventriloquists; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.