Chapter 8 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT. "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy. "Have you decided what you're going to give me?" "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing. "Of course I do," continued the boy.
Chapter 8 of Under Padlock and Seal is here in full — 142 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/28 · 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 anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading “"It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.”
recognizable; marked
From this reading “"Have you decided what you're going to give me?"”
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading “"That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.”
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading “ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.”
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading “"It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.”
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading “"That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.”
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “"That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.”
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading “"It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.”
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.
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course I do," continued the boy.”
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 ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
without stop or interruption
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
recognizable; marked
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
the act of departing
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
an informal term for a youth or man
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ELSIE HAS A FRIGHT.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That sounds as if you quite expected a present," answered Mrs. Ormond, laughing.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Of course I do," continued the boy.
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading "It's my birthday on Thursday, mother," said Guy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Have you decided what you're going to give me?"
Chapter 8 of Under Padlock and Seal by Harold Avery holds 142 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 142 sentences of Under Padlock and Seal, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Under Padlock and Seal by Harold Avery exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 142 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 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.
