Chapter 4 of The Voice on the Wire is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Voice on the Wire is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery. Personal fear began to manifest itself. “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong. We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine. We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
Chapter 4 of The Voice on the Wire is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 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.
stupefied by alcoholic drink
From this reading “Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.”
a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)
From this reading “Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.”
English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943)
From this reading “Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.”
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading “We want to hush it up and let things go at that.””
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading “We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.”
provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes
From this reading “Personal fear began to manifest itself.”
concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations
From this reading “Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.”
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading “Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.”
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 Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
stupefied by alcoholic drink
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Personal fear began to manifest itself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
a split or indentation in something (as the palate or chin)
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Personal fear began to manifest itself.
a young female
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
the act of departing
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
English actor of stage and screen (1893-1943)
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
become quiet or still; fall silent
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Personal fear began to manifest itself.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes
From this reading Personal fear began to manifest itself.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading Personal fear began to manifest itself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
not in physical motion
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
not usual or common or ordinary
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading We want to hush it up and let things go at that.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Still befuddled by the unusual events of the day, Howard Van Cleft was unable to delight in a theoretical discovery.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We know the guilty party--this miserable girl in the machine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Mr. Shirley, you're going at this too strong.
Chapter 4 of The Voice on the Wire by Eustace Hale Ball holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 4 holds 197 sentences of The Voice on the Wire, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Voice on the Wire by Eustace Hale Ball exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 4 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 Voice on the Wire by Eustace Hale Ball on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3844 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5672 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #5672, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 320 minutes of reading across 769 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Voice on the Wire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of The Voice on the Wire 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 Voice on the Wire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
