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Under Sentence of Death
Under Sentence of Death

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/4 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
IT is a quarter past one.
This is how I feel.
A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.
Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.
I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Under Sentence of Death

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/4 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
IT is a quarter past one.
/ɪt ɪz ə ˈkwɔːrtər pæst wʌn/
Line 2
This is how I feel.
Line 3
A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.
/ə ˈvaɪələnt ˈhedeɪk ənd koʊld ɪn ðə ekˈstremətiz ənd ə ˈbɜːrnɪŋ ˈfɔːrhed/
Line 4
Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.
/iːtʃ taɪm ðæt aɪ raɪz ɔːr bend ɪt siːmz tuː miː æz ɪf sʌm ˈlɪkwəd wɪtʃ floʊts ɪn maɪ skʌl draɪvz maɪ breɪn əˈɡenst ðə tɑːp ʌv maɪ hed/
Line 5
I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

Learner Dictionary

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.

drives noun US /draɪvz/

plural of “drive” — the act of applying force to propel something

From this reading “Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.”

extremities noun US /ekˈstremətiz/

plural of “extremity” — an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading “A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.”

floats noun US /floʊts/

plural of “float” — the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment

From this reading “Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.”

galvanic adjective US /ɡælˈvænɪk/

pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action

From this reading “I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.”

headache noun US /ˈhedeɪk/

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

From this reading “A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.”

liquid adjective US /ˈlɪkwəd/

existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow

From this reading “Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.”

skull noun US /skʌl/

the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

From this reading “Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.”

sustained adjective US /səˈsteɪnd/

maintained at length without interruption or weakening

From this reading “I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

quarter past noun + noun

In this reading “IT is a quarter past one.”

burning forehead noun + noun

In this reading “A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

bendverbUS /bend/

form a curve

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

brainnounUS /breɪn/

that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

drivesnounUS /draɪvz/

plural of “drive” — the act of applying force to propel something

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

extremitiesnounUS /ekˈstremətiz/

plural of “extremity” — an external body part that projects from the body

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

fallsnounUS /fɔːlz/

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading This is how I feel.

floatsnounUS /floʊts/

plural of “float” — the time interval between the deposit of a check in a bank and its payment

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

foreheadnounUS /ˈfɔːrhed/

the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

galvanicadjectiveUS /ɡælˈvænɪk/

pertaining to or producing electric current by chemical action

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

headachenounUS /ˈhedeɪk/

something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This is how I feel.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading This is how I feel.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

ITpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

liquidadjectiveUS /ˈlɪkwəd/

existing as or having characteristics of a liquid; especially tending to flow

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

nervousadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

pennounUS /pen/

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/

one of four equal parts

From this reading IT is a quarter past one.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

shocknounUS /ʃɑːk/

the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

skullnounUS /skʌl/

the bony skeleton of the head of vertebrates

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

sustainedadjectiveUS /səˈsteɪnd/

maintained at length without interruption or weakening

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This is how I feel.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

tremblings

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I have nervous tremblings, and every now and then the pen falls from my hands as though I had sustained a galvanic shock.

violentadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪələnt/

acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity

From this reading A violent headache and cold in the extremities, and a burning forehead.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Each time that I rise or bend it seems to me as if some liquid which floats in my skull drives my brain against the top of my head.

Chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death by Victor Hugo holds 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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.

What does chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death contain?

Chapter 15 holds 24 sentences of Under Sentence of Death, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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.

How do I study chapter 15 of Under Sentence of Death?

Work through the 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 5 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.

Can chapter 15 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Under Sentence of Death

Common questions about reading Under Sentence of Death by Victor Hugo on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Under Sentence of Death?

Yes. All 4014 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50010 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Under Sentence of Death is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50010, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Under Sentence of Death take to read?

About 334 minutes of reading across 803 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Under Sentence of Death section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Under Sentence of Death

Words and structures a reader meets early in Under Sentence of Death, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Under
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Sentence of Death; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sentence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Sentence of Death; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Death
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Sentence of Death; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Criminal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under Sentence of Death; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.