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The unwelcome man
The unwelcome man

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The unwelcome man is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Waldo David Frank • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The unwelcome man
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.
Well?”
“Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?
I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’
‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.
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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 unwelcome man

Chapter XIV

Chapter 14 of The unwelcome man is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.
Line 2
Well?”
/wel/
Line 3
“Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?
Line 4
I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’
/aɪ θɪŋk ɪt ɪz wʌn ʌv ðə best ˈtʃɔːsər roʊt/
Line 5
‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

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.

Burt noun US /bɜːrt/

English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)

From this reading “‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Chaucer noun US /ˈtʃɔːsər/

English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading “I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
despise verb US /dɪˈspaɪz/

look down on with disdain

From this reading ““Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
imitate verb US /ˈɪməteɪt/

reproduce someone's behavior or looks

From this reading ““Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mahogany noun US /məˈhɑːɡəni/

wood of any of various mahogany trees; much used for cabinetwork and furniture

From this reading “‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Miller's noun US /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skip verb US /skɪp/

bypass

From this reading ““Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tapping noun US /ˈtæpɪŋ/

the sound of light blow or knock

From this reading “‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

finger on verb + particle

In this reading “‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.”

7,102 times in 426,211 chapters

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 ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
answersnounUS /ˈænsərz/

plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BurtnounUS /bɜːrt/

English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ChaucernounUS /ˈtʃɔːsər/

English poet remembered as author of the Canterbury Tales (1340-1400)

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Deering

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

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

Pending verification
desknounUS /desk/

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
despiseverbUS /dɪˈspaɪz/

look down on with disdain

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Garsted

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

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

Pending verification
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hugeadjectiveUS /hjuːdʒ/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
imitateverbUS /ˈɪməteɪt/

reproduce someone's behavior or looks

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
interruptedadjectiveUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪd/

discontinued temporarily

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
it's

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

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Pending verification
mahoganynounUS /məˈhɑːɡəni/

wood of any of various mahogany trees; much used for cabinetwork and furniture

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Miller'snounUS /ˈmɪlərz/

possessive form of “miller” — United States bandleader of a popular big band (1909-1944)

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sealverbUS /siːl/

make tight; secure against leakage

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Simson

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

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

Pending verification
skipverbUS /skɪp/

bypass

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TalenounUS /teɪl/

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 “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tappingnounUS /ˈtæpɪŋ/

the sound of light blow or knock

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
there's

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

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

Pending verification
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
unpleasantadjectiveUS /ənˈplezənt/

offensive or disagreeable; causing discomfort or unhappiness

From this reading ‘It is good,’ he answers, tapping a finger on his mahogany desk--yes, there’s a huge seal ring on the tapping finger--‘It is good, Mr. Burt, but it’s unpleasant; it is coarse.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Well?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whynounUS /waɪ/

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

From this reading “Well--I answer: ‘Mr. Simson, why did we skip _The Miller’s Tale_?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading I think it is one of the best Chaucer wrote.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading “Yes,” interrupted Garsted, “they despise Deering, but they all imitate him.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 14 of The unwelcome man by Waldo David Frank holds 410 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.

What does chapter 14 of The unwelcome man contain?

Chapter 14 holds 410 sentences of The unwelcome man, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of The unwelcome man by Waldo David Frank exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 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.

How do I study chapter 14 of The unwelcome man?

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.

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 unwelcome man

Common questions about reading The unwelcome man by Waldo David Frank on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The unwelcome man?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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

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About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The unwelcome man

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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