Chapter 15 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GRAYSMILL, October 31st. No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea! Why should I? Good gracious me, they'd think me mad. Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
Chapter 15 of The Wings of Icarus is here in full — 44 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/8 · 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.
plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading “Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.”
capable of being answered
From this reading “Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.”
any person at all
From this reading “Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.”
in addition to; as well as
From this reading “Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.”
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit
From this reading “Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.”
roused to anger
From this reading “Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.”
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading “Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.”
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading “GRAYSMILL, October 31st.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GRAYSMILL, October 31st.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
capable of being answered
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
any person at all
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
in addition to; as well as
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GRAYSMILL, October 31st.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
roused to anger
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
not any; not one
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
the month following September and preceding November
From this reading GRAYSMILL, October 31st.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Why should I?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Good gracious me, they'd think me mad.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Besides, I am my own mistress, and am not answerable to anybody for my actions.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Why should I?
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading No, of course I have not said a word about it at the house; what an idea!
Chapter 15 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema holds 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 15 holds 44 sentences of The Wings of Icarus, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of The Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 44 sentences, grouped into 9 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 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 9 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 15 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 Wings of Icarus by Laurence Alma-Tadema on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2158 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17255 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17255, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 179 minutes of reading across 432 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Wings of Icarus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Wings of Icarus 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 Wings of Icarus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
