Chapter 5 of The Wild Olive: A Novel is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of The Wild Olive: A Novel is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament. "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh. "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused. "Everybody is different, don't you think? And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
Chapter 5 of The Wild Olive: A Novel is here in full — 403 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/80 · 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.
a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)
From this reading “"Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.”
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading “"Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.”
United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters
From this reading “"Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.”
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading “Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.”
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading “"I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.”
usually brightly colored zygodactyl tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds
From this reading “"Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.”
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “"Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.”
your usual mood
From this reading “Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.”
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 Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
brought into existence
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading "Everybody is different, don't you think?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
every person
From this reading "Everybody is different, don't you think?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Everybody is different, don't you think?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
the sound of laughing
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
past form of “muse” — reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
not any; not one
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
usually brightly colored zygodactyl tropical birds with short hooked beaks and the ability to mimic sounds
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
an idea that is suggested
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "I'm sure I don't know," Miss Jarrott mused.
your usual mood
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Everybody is different, don't you think?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
(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 "Wa-al, pretty well for an old gal!" screamed the parrot ending in a croaking laugh.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Strange ventured the suggestion that she had been born with a joyous temperament.
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet it sometimes seems to me that no one can be so different as I am.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Everybody is different, don't you think?
Chapter 5 of The Wild Olive: A Novel by Basil King holds 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 holds 403 sentences of The Wild Olive: A Novel, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of The Wild Olive: A Novel by Basil King exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 403 sentences, grouped into 81 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 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 Wild Olive: A Novel by Basil King on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5847 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13212 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13212, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 487 minutes of reading across 1170 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wild Olive: A Novel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Wild Olive: A Novel 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 Wild Olive: A Novel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
