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Wolfbane
Wolfbane

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Wolfbane is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Wolfbane
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
* * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.
Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?
And yet it wasn't all foolishness.
Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.
He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Wolfbane

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Wolfbane is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
* * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.
Line 2
Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?
Line 3
And yet it wasn't all foolishness.
Line 4
Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.
Line 5
He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

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.

diet noun US /ˈdaɪət/

a prescribed selection of foods

From this reading “Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.”

drill verb US /drɪl/

make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool

From this reading “* * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.”

flanking verb US /ˈflæŋkɪŋ/

-ing form of “flank” — be located at the sides of something or somebody

From this reading “Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?”

foolishness noun US /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading “* * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.”

Himalayan adjective US /ˌhɪməˈleɪən/

of or relating to the Himalayas

From this reading “Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?”

maneuver noun US /məˈnuːvər/

a military training exercise

From this reading “Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?”

Pyramid verb US /ˈpɪrəmɪd/

enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts

From this reading “Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?”

unreachable adjective US /ənˈriːtʃəbəl/

inaccessibly located or situated

From this reading “Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

2500

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

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

acquisitivenessnoun

strong desire to acquire and possess

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading And yet it wasn't all foolishness.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And yet it wasn't all foolishness.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

calorie-a-day

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

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

close-order

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

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

Couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

dietnounUS /ˈdaɪət/

a prescribed selection of foods

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

differencenounUS /ˈdɪfərəns/

the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

drillverbUS /drɪl/

make a hole, especially with a pointed power or hand tool

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

driveverbUS /draɪv/

operate or control a vehicle

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

flankingverbUS /ˈflæŋkɪŋ/

-ing form of “flank” — be located at the sides of something or somebody

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

fleshnounUS /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

foolishnessnounUS /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

HimalayanadjectiveUS /ˌhɪməˈleɪən/

of or relating to the Himalayas

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

maneuvernounUS /məˈnuːvər/

a military training exercise

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

musclenounUS /ˈmʌsəl/

one of the contractile organs of the body

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

PyramidverbUS /ˈpɪrəmɪd/

enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

sheepnounUS /ʃiːp/

woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

squads-right

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

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

Tropile's

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

From this reading Close-order drill and 2500-calorie-a-day diet began to put fat and flesh and muscle on Tropile's body, and something other than that on his mind.

unreachableadjectiveUS /ənˈriːtʃəbəl/

inaccessibly located or situated

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading * * * * * It was foolishness, this close-order drill.

wasn't

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

From this reading And yet it wasn't all foolishness.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

WolfnounUS /wʊlf/

any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

From this reading He had not lost the edge of his acquisitiveness, his drive--his whatever it was that made the difference between Wolf and sheep.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading And yet it wasn't all foolishness.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Could you defeat the unreachable Himalayan Pyramid with a squads-right flanking maneuver?

Chapter 4 of Wolfbane by Frederik Pohl holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 of Wolfbane contain?

Chapter 4 holds 401 sentences of Wolfbane, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Wolfbane by Frederik Pohl exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 4 of Wolfbane?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Wolfbane

Common questions about reading Wolfbane by Frederik Pohl on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Wolfbane?

Yes. All 2871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #51845 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Wolfbane is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #51845, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Wolfbane take to read?

About 239 minutes of reading across 575 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Wolfbane section by section

How to work through Wolfbane section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Wolfbane to begin.

  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 Wolfbane

Words and structures a reader meets early in Wolfbane, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Appallingly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfbane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Earth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfbane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kidnapped
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfbane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Solar
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Wolfbane; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.