Chapter 1 of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence. "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars." The girls started, and Laura cried out: "How do you know it cost that much?" "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
Chapter 1 of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance is here in full — 116 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
From this reading “Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.”
United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)
From this reading “Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.”
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
From this reading “Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.”
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading “"How do you know it cost that much?"”
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading “"Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."”
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading “Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.”
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading “"Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."”
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading “"Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
United States politician who was elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles (1917-1998)
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading The girls started, and Laura cried out:
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
without liveliness
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
a young female
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
ten 10s
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The girls started, and Laura cried out:
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The girls started, and Laura cried out:
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
express in words
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Billie Bradley clambered down from her perch in awed silence.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I heard Miss Beggs say so," Billie replied dully.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The girls started, and Laura cried out:
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The girls started, and Laura cried out:
precisely as stated
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value
From this reading "Girls," she said, her voice very low and solemn, "that 'Girl Reading a Book' statue was worth a hundred dollars."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "How do you know it cost that much?"
Chapter 1 of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance by Janet D. Wheeler holds 116 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 116 sentences of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance by Janet D. Wheeler exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 116 sentences, grouped into 24 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 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.
Common questions about reading Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance by Janet D. Wheeler on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2686 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #10048 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #10048, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 223 minutes of reading across 538 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
