Chapter 15 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XV
Chapter 15 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"What is it, Lu?" Violet asked in trepidation. "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below? Are burglars trying to break in?" "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
Chapter 15 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
plural of “burglar” — a thief who enters a building with intent to steal
From this reading “Are burglars trying to break in?"”
a very attractive or seductive looking woman
From this reading “"No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."”
informal terms for a mother
From this reading “"No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."”
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading “"Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?”
easily agitated
From this reading “"No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."”
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading “"Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?”
a feeling of alarm or dread
From this reading “Violet asked in trepidation.”
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading “Violet asked in trepidation.”
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 "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Are burglars trying to break in?"
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Violet asked in trepidation.
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
terminate
From this reading Are burglars trying to break in?"
plural of “burglar” — a thief who enters a building with intent to steal
From this reading Are burglars trying to break in?"
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Violet asked in trepidation.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "What is it, Lu?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "What is it, Lu?"
the sound of laughing
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium
From this reading "What is it, Lu?"
a very attractive or seductive looking woman
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
informal terms for a mother
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
easily agitated
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
not any; not one
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading "Oh what is the meaning of those sounds coming from below?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Are burglars trying to break in?"
a feeling of alarm or dread
From this reading Violet asked in trepidation.
hard to endure
From this reading Are burglars trying to break in?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers
From this reading Violet asked in trepidation.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What is it, Lu?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "No, Mamma Vi," returned Lulu with a little nervous laugh, "they are trying to break out."
Chapter 15 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley holds 153 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.
Chapter 15 holds 153 sentences of Christmas with Grandma Elsie, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 15 of Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 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.
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.
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 Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3298 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14534 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14534, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 274 minutes of reading across 660 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Christmas with Grandma Elsie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Christmas with Grandma Elsie 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 with Grandma Elsie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
