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Christmas with Grandma Elsie
Christmas with Grandma Elsie

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Christmas with Grandma Elsie
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was about the middle of November.
There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.
At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.
"How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.
'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Christmas with Grandma Elsie

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was about the middle of November.
/ɪt wɑːz əˈbaʊt ðə ˈmɪdəl ʌv noʊˈvembər/
Line 2
There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.
Line 3
At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.
Line 4
"How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.
Line 5
'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

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.

encased adjective US /enˈkeɪst/

covered or protected with or as if with a case

From this reading “There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.”

hoar noun US /hɔːr/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading “'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.”

Ion noun US /ˈaɪən/

a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons

From this reading “At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.”

shrub noun US /ʃrʌb/

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading “There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.”

sleet noun US /sliːt/

partially melted snow (or a mixture of rain and snow)

From this reading “There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.”

slippery adjective US /ˈslɪpəri/

causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide

From this reading “There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.”

swayed verb US /sweɪd/

past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading “There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.”

wool noun US /wʊl/

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading “'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.”

All words in this reading · 81

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 There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/

The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

brightlyadverbUS /ˈbraɪtli/

with brightness

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

delightedadjectiveUS /dɪˈlaɪtəd/

greatly pleased

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

diamondsnounUS /ˈdaɪməndz/

plural of “diamond” — a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

dressing-room

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

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

Elsie

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

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

encasedadjectiveUS /enˈkeɪst/

covered or protected with or as if with a case

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/

the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

frostnounUS /frɔːst/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

gazingverbUS /ˈɡeɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

givesnounUS /ɡɪvz/

plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

glitteringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪtərɪŋ/

having brief brilliant points or flashes of light

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

hoarnounUS /hɔːr/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

How

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

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

IonnounUS /ˈaɪən/

a particle that is electrically charged (positive or negative); an atom or molecule or group that has lost or gained one or more electrons

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/

an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

roadsnounUS /roʊdz/

a partly sheltered anchorage

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

scattereth

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

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

sheeted

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

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

shiningadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/

marked by exceptional merit

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

shrubnounUS /ʃrʌb/

a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

sleetnounUS /sliːt/

partially melted snow (or a mixture of rain and snow)

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/

causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

softlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːftli/

with low volume

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/

shining with brilliant points of light like stars

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

stormverbUS /stɔːrm/

behave violently, as if in state of a great anger

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

swayedverbUS /sweɪd/

past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "How beautiful!" she said softly to herself; "and my Father made it all.

tossedverbUS /tɔːst/

past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

Travilla

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

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

walksnounUS /wɔːks/

plural of “walk” — the act of traveling by foot

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was about the middle of November.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

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

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading At Ion Mrs. Elsie Travilla stood at the window of her dressing-room gazing with delighted eyes upon the lovely scene.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There had been a long rain storm, ending in sleet and snow, and now the sun was shining brightly on a landscape sheeted with ice: walks and roads were slippery with it, every tree and shrub was encased in it, and glittering and sparkling as if loaded with diamonds, as its branches swayed and tossed in the wind.

woolnounUS /wʊl/

a fabric made from the hair of sheep

From this reading 'He gives snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

Chapter 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie contain?

Chapter 1 holds 151 sentences of Christmas with Grandma Elsie, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Christmas with Grandma Elsie

Common questions about reading Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Christmas with Grandma Elsie?

Yes. All 3298 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14534 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14534, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Christmas with Grandma Elsie take to read?

About 274 minutes of reading across 660 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Christmas with Grandma Elsie section by section

How to work through Christmas with Grandma Elsie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Christmas with Grandma Elsie 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 Christmas with Grandma Elsie

Words and structures a reader meets early in Christmas with Grandma Elsie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Middle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas with Grandma Elsie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
November
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas with Grandma Elsie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Storm
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas with Grandma Elsie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ending
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas with Grandma Elsie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.