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Betty Alden
Betty Alden

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Betty Alden is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Betty Alden
Context Illustration Reading 1/25 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THOU ART THE MAN!
Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.
The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.
They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?
Not I.
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.

Betty Alden

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Betty Alden is here in full — 129 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THOU ART THE MAN!
/ðaʊ ɑːrt ðə mæn/
Line 2
Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.
Line 3
The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.
Line 4
They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?
Line 5
Not I.
/nɑːt aɪ/

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.

impaled verb US /ˌɪmˈpeɪld/

past form of “impale” — pierce with a sharp stake or point

From this reading “Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.”

meteorological adjective US /ˌmiːtiɔːrəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/

of or pertaining to atmospheric phenomena, especially weather and weather conditions

From this reading “The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.”

ominous adjective US /ˈɑːmənəs/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading “The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.”

plots noun US /plɑːts/

plural of “plot” — a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading “Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.”

Plymouth noun US /ˈplɪməθ/

a town in Massachusetts founded by Pilgrims in 1620

From this reading “The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.”

reminiscences noun US /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading “Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.”

storms noun US /stɔːrmz/

plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning

From this reading “The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.”

theories noun US /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading “The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.”

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.

in the wilderness preposition + article + noun counted as “in … wilderness”

In this reading “Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.”

All words in this reading · 91

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

Allerton

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

ARTauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading THOU ART THE MAN!

assemblynounUS /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

Bartholomew

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

beatverbUS /biːt/

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

calmverbUS /kɑːm/

make calm or still

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

coastnounUS /koʊst/

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

cottage-gardens

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

equinoctialadjective

relating to the vicinity of the equator

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

folknounUS /foʊk/

people in general (often used in the plural)

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

fourscorenoun

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and eight

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

gatheredadjectiveUS /ˈɡæðərd/

brought together in one place

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/

plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Not I.

impaledverbUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪld/

past form of “impale” — pierce with a sharp stake or point

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THOU ART THE MAN!

MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

meteorologicaladjectiveUS /ˌmiːtiɔːrəˈlɑːdʒɪkəl/

of or pertaining to atmospheric phenomena, especially weather and weather conditions

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

modernadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdərn/

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

NotadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not I.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

ominousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːmənəs/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

performancenounUS /pərˈfɔːrməns/

a dramatic or musical entertainment

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

plotsnounUS /plɑːts/

plural of “plot” — a secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal)

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

PlymouthnounUS /ˈplɪməθ/

a town in Massachusetts founded by Pilgrims in 1620

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

pridenounUS /praɪd/

a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

producedverbUS /prəˈduːst/

past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

reminiscencesnounUS /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

SquareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

stormsnounUS /stɔːrmz/

plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/

closely encircling

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

tempestnounUS /ˈtempəst/

a violent commotion or disturbance

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THOU ART THE MAN!

theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/

plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

THOUpronounUS /ðaʊ/

an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person

From this reading THOU ART THE MAN!

thunder-shower

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

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

toilverbUS /tɔɪl/

work hard

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

TownnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

weathernounUS /ˈweðər/

the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading They also call a thunder-shower, however slight, a “tempest,” and who is to object?

wildadjectiveUS /waɪld/

marked by extreme lack of restraint or control

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading The weather was wild, and ominous with the promise of one of those fierce storms of wind and rain, pretty sure to visit the coast in March and September, and still called by Plymouth folk the line storm, or the equinoctial, in calm contempt of modern meteorological theories.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Again Bartholomew Allerton, with much pride in the performance, beat out the “assembly” in the Town Square, and at the sound some fourscore men gathered from the houses, the shore, or those impaled garden plots surrounding each house, where already patient toil had produced in the wilderness very sweet reminiscences of English cottage-gardens.

Chapter 4 of Betty Alden by Jane G. (Jane Goodwin) Austin holds 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 4 of Betty Alden contain?

Chapter 4 holds 129 sentences of Betty Alden, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Betty Alden by Jane G. (Jane Goodwin) Austin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 129 sentences, grouped into 26 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 4 of Betty Alden?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Betty Alden

Common questions about reading Betty Alden by Jane G. (Jane Goodwin) Austin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Betty Alden?

Yes. All 3812 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67608 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Betty Alden is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #67608, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Betty Alden take to read?

About 317 minutes of reading across 763 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Betty Alden section by section

How to work through Betty Alden section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of Betty Alden 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 Betty Alden

Words and structures a reader meets early in Betty Alden, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Standish
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betty Alden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betty Alden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Betty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betty Alden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Betty Alden; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.