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A Topsy-Turvy Christmas
A Topsy-Turvy Christmas

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas is here in full — 492 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Topsy-Turvy Christmas
Context Illustration Reading 1/98 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.
---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.
These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.
The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.
Children like them.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Topsy-Turvy Christmas

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas is here in full — 492 sentences across 99 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/98 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.
Line 2
---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.
Line 3
These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.
/ðiːz sɔːŋz kæn biː juːzd ɪn ɔːl ˈmænər ʌv ˌentərˈteɪnmənts/
Line 4
The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.
/ðə ˈmjuːzɪk ɪz ˈiːzi ənd boʊθ ˈmjuːzɪk ənd wɜːrdz ɑːr əˈspeʃli ˈkætʃiː/
Line 5
Children like them.
/ˈtʃɪldrən laɪk ðem/

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.

catchy adjective US /ˈkætʃiː/

having concealed difficulty

From this reading “The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.”

colleague noun US /ˈkɑːliɡ/

an associate that one works with

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

dedicated adjective US /ˈdedəkeɪtəd/

devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

emmy noun US /ˈemi/

an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

entertainments noun US /ˌentərˈteɪnmənts/

plural of “entertainment” — an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention

From this reading “These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.”

mentor noun US /ˈmentɔːr/

a wise and trusted guide and advisor

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

planet noun US /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

role noun US /roʊl/

the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group

From this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

fell off verb + particle

In this reading “---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.”

all manner adjective + noun

In this reading “These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.”

All words in this reading · 44

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.

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 These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading ---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

catchyadjectiveUS /ˈkætʃiː/

having concealed difficulty

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

ChildrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading Children like them.

colleaguenounUS /ˈkɑːliɡ/

an associate that one works with

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

dedicatedadjectiveUS /ˈdedəkeɪtəd/

devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

ebook

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

Edna

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.

EMMYnounUS /ˈemi/

an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

entertainmentsnounUS /ˌentərˈteɪnmənts/

plural of “entertainment” — an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Children like them.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

mentornounUS /ˈmentɔːr/

a wise and trusted guide and advisor

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

modelnounUS /ˈmɑːdəl/

a hypothetical description of a complex entity or process

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

planetnounUS /ˈplænət/

(astronomy) any of the nine large celestial bodies in the solar system that revolve around the sun and shine by reflected light

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

Randolph

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.

rolenounUS /roʊl/

the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

songsnounUS /sɔːŋz/

plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Children like them.

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading ---------------------------------------- This ebook is dedicated to EMMY friend, colleague, mentor, role model, who fell off the planet far too soon.

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading The music is easy, and both music and words are especially catchy.

Worrell

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

From this reading ---------------------------------------- By Edna Randolph Worrell.

Chapter 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas by Elizabeth F. (Elizabeth Frances) Guptill holds 492 sentences, grouped into 99 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 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas contain?

Chapter 1 holds 492 sentences of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas, unabridged, divided into 99 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas by Elizabeth F. (Elizabeth Frances) Guptill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 492 sentences, grouped into 99 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 1 of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas?

Work through the 99 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 99 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Topsy-Turvy Christmas

Common questions about reading A Topsy-Turvy Christmas by Elizabeth F. (Elizabeth Frances) Guptill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas?

Yes. All 945 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59605 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Topsy-Turvy Christmas take to read?

About 78 minutes of reading across 189 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Topsy-Turvy Christmas section by section

How to work through A Topsy-Turvy Christmas section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas 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 Topsy-Turvy Christmas

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Topsy-Turvy Christmas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ebook
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dedicated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Colleague
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Topsy-Turvy Christmas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.