Chapter 6 of Christmas Penny Readings is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VI
Chapter 6 of Christmas Penny Readings is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host. "What did you hear?" "What did I hear?" I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot. "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
Chapter 6 of Christmas Penny Readings is here in full — 437 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/87 · 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.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading “"Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.”
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading “"What did you hear?"”
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading “"Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.”
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading “I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.”
score a line on with a pointed instrument, as in metalworking
From this reading “"Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.”
small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water
From this reading “I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.”
a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
From this reading “I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.”
plural of “sweep” — a wide scope
From this reading “"Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."”
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.
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 to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "What did you hear?"
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "What did you hear?"
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "What did I hear?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
score a line on with a pointed instrument, as in metalworking
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
plural of “sweep” — a wide scope
From this reading "Oh, I heard nothing but the sweeps."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I said, for I had smelt out the rat--or the soot.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Well, what was it, Scribe?" exclaimed our host.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "What did you hear?"
Chapter 6 of Christmas Penny Readings by George Manville Fenn holds 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 6 holds 437 sentences of Christmas Penny Readings, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 6 of Christmas Penny Readings by George Manville Fenn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 437 sentences, grouped into 88 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 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 88 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 6 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 Penny Readings by George Manville Fenn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2690 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34665 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #34665, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 224 minutes of reading across 538 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Christmas Penny Readings section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of Christmas Penny Readings 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 Penny Readings, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
