Chapter VIII of Under Blanco's eye, “The Temptation of Pedro,” is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter VIII of Under Blanco's eye, “The Temptation of Pedro,” is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited. “You a recruit?” he gasped. “Why not?” laughed Hal. “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?” “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
Chapter VIII of Under Blanco's eye, “The Temptation of Pedro,” is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/29 · 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.
an entertainer who has a sensational effect
From this reading “Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.”
of or relating to or characteristic of Cuba or the people of Cuba
From this reading “Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.”
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading “Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading ““You a recruit?” he gasped.”
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease
From this reading ““Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?””
register formally as a participant or member
From this reading ““You a recruit?” he gasped.”
a Spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the English “Mr” or “sir”
From this reading ““Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.””
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading ““Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.””
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.
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 Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
an entertainer who has a sensational effect
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
of or relating to or characteristic of Cuba or the people of Cuba
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
showing the parts of something separated but in positions that show their correct relation to one another
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
start firing a weapon
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “You a recruit?” he gasped.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why not?” laughed Hal.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading “Why not?” laughed Hal.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
register formally as a participant or member
From this reading “You a recruit?” he gasped.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
a Spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the English “Mr” or “sir”
From this reading “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Had a bombshell exploded near the Cuban, he could not have been more excited.
having great material or monetary value especially for use or exchange
From this reading “Senor, you would be a valuable recruit, but you are not a Cuban.”
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why not?” laughed Hal.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Am I not healthy enough, or do you fear that I would run at the first fire?”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “You a recruit?” he gasped.
Chapter 8 of Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 8 holds 145 sentences of Under Blanco's eye, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 29 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 8 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 Under Blanco's eye by Douglas Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1531 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68379 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68379, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 127 minutes of reading across 307 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Blanco's eye section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Under Blanco's eye 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 Under Blanco's eye, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
