Chapter 13 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIII
Chapter 13 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“It should have been made of steel, to last.” I said. “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai. “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him. I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
Chapter 13 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 451 sentences across 91 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/90 · 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 wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading ““Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.”
plural of “courtier” — an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading “I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.””
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading ““I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.”
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading “I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.””
to make better
From this reading “I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.””
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading “I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.””
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading ““It should have been made of steel, to last.””
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading ““Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.”
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 “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
a wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
plural of “courtier” — an attendant at the court of a sovereign
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
to make better
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
immediately past
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
engage in
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
not any; not one
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I said.
East Indian tree yielding a resin used medicinally and burned as incense
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Let’s make a bicycle for the King,” suggested Salai.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “It should have been made of steel, to last.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I can see the courtiers riding about...we can improve on the one we made in Florence.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I’ll show him my drawing...no, you make one for him.
Chapter 13 of Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett holds 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 13 holds 451 sentences of Voices from the Past, unabridged, divided into 91 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 13 of Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 451 sentences, grouped into 91 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 91 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 91 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 13 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 Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11644 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39468 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #39468, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2329 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Voices from the Past section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Voices from the Past 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 Voices from the Past, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
