Chapter 8 of The Unspeakable Perk is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Unspeakable Perk is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand. “Please, Fitz! I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.” Humbly he subsided. “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
Chapter 8 of The Unspeakable Perk is here in full — 409 sentences across 82 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.
past form of “apologize” — acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing
From this reading ““I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.”
in a humble manner
From this reading “Humbly he subsided.”
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading ““Please, Fitz!”
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading ““Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.”
past form of “subside” — wear off or die down
From this reading “Humbly he subsided.”
suffering from overexposure to direct sunlight
From this reading ““Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.”
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading ““Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.”
in the direction of
From this reading ““Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
past form of “apologize” — acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Please, Fitz!
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
in a humble manner
From this reading Humbly he subsided.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
not any; not one
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
and nothing more
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “Please, Fitz!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
past form of “subside” — wear off or die down
From this reading Humbly he subsided.
suffering from overexposure to direct sunlight
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I—I don’t feel up to it to-day.”
in the direction of
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I’d no right to ask you the question,” he apologized.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Oh, Miss Polly,” he began, taking a step toward her, “if you’d only let me—” She put up one little sunburned hand.
Chapter 8 of The Unspeakable Perk by Samuel Hopkins Adams holds 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 8 holds 409 sentences of The Unspeakable Perk, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Unspeakable Perk by Samuel Hopkins Adams exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 409 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Unspeakable Perk by Samuel Hopkins Adams on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4121 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5009 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5009, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 343 minutes of reading across 825 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Unspeakable Perk section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Unspeakable Perk 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 Unspeakable Perk, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
