Chapter 20 of West Wind Drift is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of West Wind Drift is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood. The blows were rapid and vigorous. The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation. Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege? Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
Chapter 20 of West Wind Drift is here in full — 238 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/47 · 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.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading “The blows were rapid and vigorous.”
a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church
From this reading “Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.”
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading “The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.”
plural of “exercise” — the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading “Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.”
a large indefinite number
From this reading “Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.”
blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character
From this reading “Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?”
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading “Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?”
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading “The blows were rapid and vigorous.”
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.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The blows were rapid and vigorous.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading The blows were rapid and vigorous.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
plural of “exercise” — the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act
From this reading Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
a large indefinite number
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
done or occurring in a brief period of time
From this reading The blows were rapid and vigorous.
blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character
From this reading Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
in the direction of
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading The blows were rapid and vigorous.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The blows were rapid and vigorous.
which person or people
From this reading Who was guilty of this unseemly sacrilege?
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Finally those on the edge of the multitude discovered the wielder of the ax.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading The surprised people looked at each other first in wonder and then in consternation.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading Toward the close of the exercises, the congregation was startled by the sound of an ax smiting wood.
Chapter 20 of West Wind Drift by George Barr McCutcheon holds 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 238 sentences of West Wind Drift, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of West Wind Drift by George Barr McCutcheon exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 238 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 West Wind Drift by George Barr McCutcheon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7048 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6014 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #6014, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 587 minutes of reading across 1410 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through West Wind Drift section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of West Wind Drift 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 West Wind Drift, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
