Chapter 20 of Under the Andes is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Under the Andes is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
AN INCA SPEAR. Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor. But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian. Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it. To the story.
Chapter 20 of Under the Andes is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/57 · 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.
in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
From this reading “Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.”
the process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat
From this reading “Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.”
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading “Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.”
a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it
From this reading “But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.”
a ruler of the Incas (or a member of his family)
From this reading “AN INCA SPEAR.”
put or introduce into something
From this reading “Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.”
one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line
From this reading “Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.”
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading “Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.”
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 Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN INCA SPEAR.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
the process of decomposing organic matter (as in sewage) by bacteria or by chemical action or heat
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
a ruler of the Incas (or a member of his family)
From this reading AN INCA SPEAR.
put or introduce into something
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
involving the mind or an intellectual process
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
a specialist in philosophy
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
like better; value more highly
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
express in words
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
express in speech
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading AN INCA SPEAR.
not in physical motion
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading To the story.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But events, they say, speak for themselves; and still, for my own part, I prefer the philosopher to the historian.
feelings of excessive pride
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
accept gladly
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire
From this reading Here I might most appropriately insert a paragraph on the vanity of human wishes and endeavor.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Mental digestion is a wearisome task; you are welcome to it.
Chapter 20 of Under the Andes by Rex Stout holds 288 sentences, grouped into 58 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 20 holds 288 sentences of Under the Andes, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Under the Andes by Rex Stout exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 288 sentences, grouped into 58 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 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 58 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 20 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 the Andes by Rex Stout on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6135 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #546 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #546, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 511 minutes of reading across 1227 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Under the Andes section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Under the Andes 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 the Andes, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
