Chapter 4 of The White Cat is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The White Cat is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"It doesn’t seem possible!" I exclaimed. Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?" I held my breath. "What ’island’?"
Chapter 4 of The White Cat is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading “I held my breath.”
a small conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere in the Milky Way near Centaurus
From this reading “Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"”
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “I exclaimed.”
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading “I held my breath.”
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading “Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"”
capable of happening or existing
From this reading “"It doesn’t seem possible!"”
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “"It doesn’t seem possible!"”
in a tentative manner
From this reading “Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"”
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.
In this reading “"It doesn’t seem possible!"”
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading I held my breath.
a small conspicuous constellation in the southern hemisphere in the Milky Way near Centaurus
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It doesn’t seem possible!"
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading I exclaimed.
in fear
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading I held my breath.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I exclaimed.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "It doesn’t seem possible!"
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I held my breath.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading "It doesn’t seem possible!"
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "It doesn’t seem possible!"
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
in a tentative manner
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, tentatively, almost fearfully, for it seemed the crux: "And about ’the island’?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What ’island’?"
Chapter 4 of The White Cat by Gelett Burgess holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 418 sentences of The White Cat, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The White Cat by Gelett Burgess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 White Cat by Gelett Burgess on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5367 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48084 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #48084, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 447 minutes of reading across 1074 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The White Cat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The White Cat 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 White Cat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
