Chapter 17 of A Daughter of To-Day is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of A Daughter of To-Day is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida. "Yes," Miss Kimpsey returned. "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat. Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for. And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
Chapter 17 of A Daughter of To-Day is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.”
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading “"I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.”
plural of “expectation” — belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading “Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.”
the act of acquiring something
From this reading “And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.”
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading “Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.”
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading “Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.”
third-person singular of “surpass” — distinguish oneself
From this reading “Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.”
interact in a certain way
From this reading “"It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.”
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 "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
comparative of “black” — being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
plural of “expectation” — belief about (or mental picture of) the future
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Yes," Miss Kimpsey returned.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "Yes," Miss Kimpsey returned.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
above and across; more than
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "Yes," Miss Kimpsey returned.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
express in words
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
third-person singular of “surpass” — distinguish oneself
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Everything surpasses my expectations, everything is older and blacker and more interesting than I looked for.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
interact in a certain way
From this reading "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.
precisely as stated
From this reading "It's a great treat--it's a _very_ great treat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And I must say we're getting over a great deal in the time.
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes," Miss Kimpsey returned.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I am sure you are enjoying it," said Elfrida.
Chapter 17 of A Daughter of To-Day by Sara Jeannette Duncan holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 holds 153 sentences of A Daughter of To-Day, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of A Daughter of To-Day by Sara Jeannette Duncan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 17 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 Daughter of To-Day by Sara Jeannette Duncan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4526 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14490 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14490, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 377 minutes of reading across 906 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Daughter of To-Day section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 35 chapters of A Daughter of To-Day 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 Daughter of To-Day, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
