At the back of the world

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of At the back of the world is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Pugh • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 20 of At the back of the world by George Pugh holds 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 At the back of the world contain?

Chapter 20 holds 71 sentences of At the back of the world, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of At the back of the world by George Pugh exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 71 sentences, grouped into 15 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 At the back of the world?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 At the back of the world

Common questions about reading At the back of the world by George Pugh on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of At the back of the world?

Yes. All 3055 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #71571 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of At the back of the world is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #71571, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does At the back of the world take to read?

About 254 minutes of reading across 611 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read At the back of the world section by section

How to work through At the back of the world section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 27 chapters of At the back of the world to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in At the back of the world

Words and structures a reader meets early in At the back of the world, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Remember: A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the back of the world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Strange: A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the back of the world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fascination: A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the back of the world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Custom: A word that appears in the opening chapter of At the back of the world; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Cover illustration for At the back of the world

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

As she moved away from a tree she had finished with, she felt a sharp slap on her right thigh and knew at once she had trodden on a snake, which animals are very numerous in that part of the country.

Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XX Reading 1/15

At the back of the world George Pugh

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of At the back of the world is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard. The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case. One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees. As she moved away from a tree she had finished with, she felt a sharp slap on her right thigh and knew at once she had trodden on a snake, which animals are very numerous in that part of the country. Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

At the back of the world

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of At the back of the world is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

Line 2

The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

Line 3

One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

Line 4

As she moved away from a tree she had finished with, she felt a sharp slap on her right thigh and knew at once she had trodden on a snake, which animals are very numerous in that part of the country.

Line 5

Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 As she moved away from a tree she had finished with, she felt a sharp slap on her right thigh and knew at once she had trodden on a snake, which animals are very numerous in that part of the country.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

animals

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

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

away

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

blessings

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

BRAVE

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

bush

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

case

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

chapter

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

come

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

country

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

day

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

end

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

felt

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

finished

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

fruit

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

GIRLS

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

incident

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

knew

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

know

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

like

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

long

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

misfortunes

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

Miss

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

moved

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

never

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

numerous

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

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

old

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

once

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

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

orchard

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

part

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

previous

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

pruning

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

quite

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

right

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

safest

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

saying

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

sharp

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

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

singly

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

slap

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

SNAKE

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

some

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

spoken

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

stand

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

still

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

STORIES

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

taught

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

thigh

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

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

training

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

treading

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

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

tree

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

trees

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

trodden

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

TWO

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

verified

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

very

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

Warner

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

From this reading SNAKE STORIES--TWO BRAVE GIRLS IN the previous chapter I have spoken of Mr. Warner and his fruit orchard.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The old saying that misfortunes, like blessings, never come singly was verified in their case.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Her bush training had taught her that it is safest in such a case to stand quite still until you know which end of the snake you are treading on.

young

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

From this reading One day, not long after the previous incident, Miss Warner was in the orchard pruning some young trees.

Chapter XX

What does chapter 20 of At the back of the world contain?

How do I study chapter 20 of At the back of the world?

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading At the back of the world

How to read At the back of the world section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in At the back of the world