Chapter 4 of Christmas Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Christmas Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?" "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch." "Mother, does the lamp still burn?" "Yes, child, as always, on the table. Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
Chapter 4 of Christmas Light is here in full — 106 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 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.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading “"Mother, does the lamp still burn?"”
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading “"Mother, does the lamp still burn?"”
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading “Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.”
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
From this reading “"No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."”
third-person singular of “near” — move towards
From this reading “"No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."”
the first light of day
From this reading “IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"”
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading “"No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."”
look attentively
From this reading “"No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."”
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.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
To consume or be consumed by fire.
From this reading "Mother, does the lamp still burn?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
a young person of either sex
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Mother, does the lamp still burn?"
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading "Mother, does the lamp still burn?"
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
the mother-in-law of Ruth whose story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
third-person singular of “near” — move towards
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
not any; not one
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Mother, does the lamp still burn?"
the first light of day
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading Lie still, Naomi, and try to sleep.
look attentively
From this reading "No, Naomi, it but nears the end of the Third Watch."
an affirmative
From this reading "Yes, child, as always, on the table.
but in spite of that
From this reading IN THE DARK "Mother, is it sunrise yet?"
Chapter 4 of Christmas Light by Ethel Calvert Phillips holds 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 4 holds 106 sentences of Christmas Light, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Christmas Light by Ethel Calvert Phillips exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 106 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 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.
Common questions about reading Christmas Light by Ethel Calvert Phillips on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1139 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27615 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27615, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 94 minutes of reading across 228 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Christmas Light section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of Christmas Light 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 Christmas Light, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
