Chapter 16 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins! Too many fingers have flipped through this book. No matter... I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more. I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
Chapter 16 of Voices from the Past is here in full — 425 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
remaining in force or being carried on without letup
From this reading “I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.”
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading “Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!”
inflected form of “flip” — lightly throw to see which side comes up
From this reading “Too many fingers have flipped through this book.”
plural of “margin” — the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
From this reading “Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!”
existing or coming before
From this reading “I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.”
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading “I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.”
past form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail
From this reading “Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!”
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading “Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!”
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.
anew
In this reading “I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.”
In this reading “Too many fingers have flipped through this book.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
a public promotion of some product or service
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
remaining in force or being carried on without letup
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
worn or shabby from overuse or (of pages) from having corners turned down
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
inflected form of “flip” — lightly throw to see which side comes up
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
plural of “interest” — a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
plural of “margin” — the boundary line or the area immediately inside the boundary
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading No matter...
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
not any; not one
From this reading No matter...
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
on one occasion
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
existing or coming before
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
past form of “scribble” — write down quickly without much attention to detail
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
not in physical motion
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
a quantity of money
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Too many fingers have flipped through this book.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading I have tried his famous rabbit problem once more and then once more.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I see that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, continuing ad infinitum.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Fibonacci’s dog-eared book, Liber Abaci, still interests me: what tattered covers, foxed pages, and scribbled margins!
Chapter 16 of Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett holds 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 16 holds 425 sentences of Voices from the Past, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 425 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 16 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.
