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A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls
A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Chapter I

Cover illustration for A Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls
Context Illustration Reading 1/45 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OPENING THE SCHOOL.
Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.
Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.
Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.
"Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.
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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 Modern Tomboy: A Story for Girls

Chapter I

Reading 1/45 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OPENING THE SCHOOL.
Line 2
Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.
Line 3
Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.
Line 4
Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.
Line 5
"Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “"Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.”

Below preposition US /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading “Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.”

Excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading “"Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.”

Fair noun US /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.”

Long noun US /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.”

Standing noun US /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.”

Waiting noun US /ˈwaiting/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.”

All words in this reading · 68

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

all

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

Aren't

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

arrival

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

brown

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

daughter

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

determination

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

eyes

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

face

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

fairnounUS /fair/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

far

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

formal

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

full

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

gates

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

gentle

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

girls

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

hair

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

intensity

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

kindly

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

longnounUS /long/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

Lucy

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

match

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

Merriman

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

Mrs

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

neat

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

OPENING

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

From this reading OPENING THE SCHOOL.

person

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

plaits

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

prim

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

said

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

SCHOOL

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

From this reading OPENING THE SCHOOL.

set

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

slightly

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

soft

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

somewhat

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

speaking

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

spoke

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

standingnounUS /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

Sunnyside

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading OPENING THE SCHOOL.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

thick

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman had soft brown hair, soft brown eyes to match, and a kindly, gentle face.

turning

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

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.

two

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

very

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

waist

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

waiting

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

way

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

white

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

From this reading Mrs. Merriman and Lucy were standing at the white gates of Sunnyside, waiting for the arrival of the girls.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

wore

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

From this reading Lucy was somewhat prim, very neat in her person, with thick fair hair which she wore in two long plaits far below her waist, a face full of intensity and determination, and a slightly set and formal way of speaking.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Aren't you at all excited about their arrival?" said Mrs. Merriman, turning to her daughter as she spoke.