Chapter 5 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A NAVAL DISASTER. "A cork?" cried Ida. "Let me see it." Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box. It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
Chapter 5 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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 glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading “It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.”
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading “"A cork?" cried Ida.”
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading “A NAVAL DISASTER.”
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading “Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.”
an agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank
From this reading “"A cork?" cried Ida.”
the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
From this reading “It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.”
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading “A NAVAL DISASTER.”
a judge of a probate court
From this reading “It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.”
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 was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.”
In this reading “Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.”
In this reading “Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.”
In this reading “Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.”
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 A NAVAL DISASTER.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.
From this reading "A cork?" cried Ida.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "A cork?" cried Ida.
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune
From this reading A NAVAL DISASTER.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
having or involving the use of hands
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
an agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank
From this reading "A cork?" cried Ida.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Let me see it."
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let me see it."
the deliberate act of deviating from the truth
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Let me see it."
the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading A NAVAL DISASTER.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
above and across; more than
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Let me see it."
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Brian handed over the small object which he had seen lying in a corner of the empty box.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was an ordinary cork, such as would fit a good-sized medicine bottle.
Chapter 5 of Under Padlock and Seal by Harold Avery holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 115 sentences of Under Padlock and Seal, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Under Padlock and Seal by Harold Avery exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 23 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 Under Padlock and Seal by Harold Avery on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1558 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31231 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #31231, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 129 minutes of reading across 312 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under Padlock and Seal section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Under Padlock and Seal 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 Padlock and Seal, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
