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A Beautiful Possibility
A Beautiful Possibility

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Beautiful Possibility is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Beautiful Possibility
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.
The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.
Unavella looked at her in amazement.
She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.
"It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.
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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.

A Beautiful Possibility

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of A Beautiful Possibility is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.
/mɪs daɪˈænə rəˈsiːvd ðə nuːz ɪn ˈæbsəluːt ˈsaɪ.ləns/
Line 2
The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.
/ðə breɪv ˈdɔːtər ʌv ə breɪv ˈfɑːðər ʃiː wʊd meɪk noʊ moʊn bʌt ðə ˈswiːtnəs siːmd tuː hæv ˈsʌdənli ɡɔːn frʌm ðə ˈflaʊərz ənd ðə laɪt aʊt ʌv ðə skaɪ/
Line 3
Unavella looked at her in amazement.
Line 4
She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.
/ʃiː wɑːz juːzd tuː ðə ˈstɔːrmi ɡriːf wɪtʃ faɪndz vent ɪn terz ənd ɡroʊnz/
Line 5
"It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

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.

beats noun US /biːts/

a United States youth subculture of the 1950s; rejected possessions or regular work or traditional dress; for communal living and psychedelic drugs and anarchism; favored modern forms of jazz (e.g., bebop)

From this reading “"It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.”

Diana noun US /daɪˈænə/

English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)

From this reading “Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.”

groans noun US /ɡroʊnz/

plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading “She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.”

mentally adverb US /ˈmentəli/

in your mind

From this reading “"It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.”

moan noun US /moʊn/

an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading “The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.”

stormy adjective US /ˈstɔːrmi/

(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion

From this reading “She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.”

sweetness noun US /ˈswiːtnəs/

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

From this reading “The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.”

vent noun US /vent/

a hole for the escape of gas or air

From this reading “She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

absoluteadjectiveUS /ˈæbsəluːt/

perfect or complete or pure

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

amazementnounUS /əˈmeɪzmənt/

the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising

From this reading Unavella looked at her in amazement.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Unavella looked at her in amazement.

beatsnounUS /biːts/

a United States youth subculture of the 1950s; rejected possessions or regular work or traditional dress; for communal living and psychedelic drugs and anarchism; favored modern forms of jazz (e.g., bebop)

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

DiananounUS /daɪˈænə/

English aristocrat who was the first wife of Prince Charles; her death in an automobile accident in Paris produced intense national mourning (1961-1997)

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

ejaculated

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

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

findsnounUS /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

folksnounUS /foʊks/

your parents

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

griefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

groansnounUS /ɡroʊnz/

plural of “groan” — an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Unavella looked at her in amazement.

how

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

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Unavella looked at her in amazement.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

mentallyadverbUS /ˈmentəli/

in your mind

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

moannounUS /moʊn/

an utterance expressing pain or disapproval

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/

(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

sweetnessnounUS /ˈswiːtnəs/

the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

takesnounUS /teɪks/

plural of “take” — the income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

tearsnounUS /terz/

the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Miss Diana received the news in absolute silence.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading "It beats me how different folks takes things!" she ejaculated mentally.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

Unavella

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

From this reading Unavella looked at her in amazement.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

ventnounUS /vent/

a hole for the escape of gas or air

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading She was used to the stormy grief which finds vent in tears and groans.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading The brave daughter of a brave father, she would make no moan, but the sweetness seemed to have suddenly gone from the flowers and the light out of the sky.

Chapter 20 of A Beautiful Possibility by Edith Ferguson Black holds 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 20 of A Beautiful Possibility contain?

Chapter 20 holds 87 sentences of A Beautiful Possibility, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of A Beautiful Possibility by Edith Ferguson Black exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 20 of A Beautiful Possibility?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 20 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Beautiful Possibility

Common questions about reading A Beautiful Possibility by Edith Ferguson Black on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Beautiful Possibility?

Yes. All 4543 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10037 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Beautiful Possibility is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #10037, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Beautiful Possibility take to read?

About 378 minutes of reading across 909 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Beautiful Possibility section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of A Beautiful Possibility 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 A Beautiful Possibility

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Beautiful Possibility, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fairest
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Beautiful Possibility; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Indian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Beautiful Possibility; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Islands
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Beautiful Possibility; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Simple
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Beautiful Possibility; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.