Chapter 5 of The Vultures is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Vultures is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick. “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said. “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.” But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner. “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
Chapter 5 of The Vultures is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading ““We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.”
remove the dust from
From this reading ““We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.””
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading ““We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.”
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading ““Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.”
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading ““We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.””
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading “Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.”
a vagrant
From this reading ““Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.”
plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification
From this reading ““We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.””
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 “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
anew
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
next to; at the side of
From this reading But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
remove the dust from
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
the act of departing
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
plural of “leaf” — the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner.
French bishop who is a patron saint of France (died in 397)
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading But Martin sat down beside her and made room for Cartoner.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
be standing; be upright
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “We attract less attention than if we stand,” he explained.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
a vagrant
From this reading “Martin and I are going for a tramp,” she said.
plural of “uniform” — clothing of distinctive design worn by members of a particular group as a means of identification
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We like to get away from the noise and the dust--and the uniforms.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading Wanda had sat down again, and was stirring the dead leaves with her walking-stick.
Chapter 5 of The Vultures by Henry Seton Merriman holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 holds 412 sentences of The Vultures, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Vultures by Henry Seton Merriman exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 5 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 Vultures by Henry Seton Merriman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6274 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3805 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #3805, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 522 minutes of reading across 1255 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Vultures section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of The Vultures 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 Vultures, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
