Chapter 15 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is here in full — 344 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is here in full — 344 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin. Perhaps you will do that better." So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran. "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man. "What a bargain I have got.
Chapter 15 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf is here in full — 344 sentences across 69 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/68 · 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.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading “"What a bargain I have got.”
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading “So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.”
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading “So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.”
revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading “"I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.”
impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading “So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.”
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading “So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.”
informal terms for clothing
From this reading “So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.”
make an effort or attempt
From this reading “"I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.”
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 "What a bargain I have got.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each
From this reading "What a bargain I have got.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Perhaps you will do that better."
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "What a bargain I have got.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "What a bargain I have got.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "I am afraid you are good for nothing," said the man.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps you will do that better."
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
informal terms for clothing
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
up to a particular time
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading So she sat down and tried to spin, and her husband tried to teach her; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What a bargain I have got.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "I see that this will never do," said her husband; "try and spin.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Perhaps you will do that better."
Chapter 15 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various holds 344 sentences, grouped into 69 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 15 holds 344 sentences of Boys and Girls Bookshelf, unabridged, divided into 69 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 344 sentences, grouped into 69 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 69 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 69 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 15 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 11613 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29386 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29386, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2323 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Boys and Girls Bookshelf section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of Boys and Girls Bookshelf 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 Boys and Girls Bookshelf, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
