Chapter 2 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES. "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?" Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly. "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season." "Well, I think that is absurd.
Chapter 2 of A Colony of Girls is here in full — 245 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/49 · 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.
the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading “NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES.”
straighten with a comb
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
possessive form of “nan” — your grandmother
From this reading “NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES.”
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
plural of “tress” — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
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.
In this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
In this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
In this reading “"I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"”
In this reading “Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.”
as might be expected
In this reading “"Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."”
In this reading “"Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."”
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 "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading "Well, I think that is absurd.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
third-person singular of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
straighten with a comb
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
form a curl, curve, or kink
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
plural of “effort” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
(Greek mythology) the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Leda who was abducted by Paris; the Greek army sailed to Troy to get her back which resulted in the Trojan War
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
polished surface that forms images by reflecting light
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
possessive form of “nan” — your grandmother
From this reading NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
a soldier who serves as an attendant to a superior officer
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
show unwillingness towards
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
express in words
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
transport commercially
From this reading NAN'S SHIP ARRIVES.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
travel through water
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Well, I think that is absurd.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "Well, I think that is absurd.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
plural of “tress” — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, I think that is absurd.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Of course, Aunt Helen will say it is too early in the season."
in the company of; together with
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading "I wonder why we couldn't have a swim this morning, Jean?"
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Nathalie stood before her mirror, arranging her pretty brown tresses which, in spite of vigorous efforts with brush and comb, would curl, and refuse to be orderly.
Chapter 2 of A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard holds 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 2 holds 245 sentences of A Colony of Girls, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 245 sentences, grouped into 49 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 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 49 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 2 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 A Colony of Girls by Kate Livingston Willard on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3885 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41010 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #41010, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 323 minutes of reading across 777 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Colony of Girls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of A Colony of Girls 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 A Colony of Girls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
