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Confessions of an Opera Singer
Confessions of an Opera Singer

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.
Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.
I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.
The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.
The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Confessions of an Opera Singer

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer is here in full — 73 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.
Line 2
Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.
Line 3
I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.
/aɪ hæd ˈletərz tuː sʌm ʌv ðə ˈpiːpəl ɪn ðə taʊn θruː riˈleɪʃənz ənd tʊk æz mʌtʃ pɑːrt æz aɪ hæd taɪm fɔːr ɪn ðə ˈrɪli ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ ɪf ˈslaɪtli ˈneroʊ ˈsoʊʃəl laɪf ʌv ðə pleɪs/
Line 4
The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.
/ðə ˈsentər ʌv ˈevriθɪŋ wɑːz ʌv kɔːrs ðə kɔːrt/
Line 5
The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.
/ðə ɡrænd duːk tʊk ə ɡreɪt ˈɪntrəst ɪn ðə ˈθiːətər ənd juːzd tuː wɑːtʃ ðə prəˈdʌkʃənz ˈnoʊtbʊk ɪn hænd/

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.

cars noun US /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading “Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.”

conductors noun US /kənˈdʌktərz/

plural of “conductor” — the person who leads a musical group

From this reading “Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.”

greet verb US /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading “Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.”

notebook noun US /ˈnoʊtbʊk/

a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda

From this reading “The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.”

policemen noun US /pəˈliːsmɪn/

plural of “policeman” — a member of a police force

From this reading “Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.”

productions noun US /prəˈdʌkʃənz/

plural of “production” — the act or process of producing something

From this reading “The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.”

residence noun US /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading “SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.”

salaries noun US /ˈsæləriz/

plural of “salary” — something that remunerates

From this reading “SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

social life adjective + noun

In this reading “I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.”

street cars noun + noun counted as “street car”

In this reading “Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.”

of course preposition + noun

as might be expected

In this reading “The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.”

great interest adjective + noun

In this reading “The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

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 Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

audiencenounUS /ˈɑːdiəns/

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

carsnounUS /kɑːrz/

plural of “car” — a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

centrenounUS /ˈsentər/

a low-lying region in central France

From this reading The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.

charmingadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/

pleasing or delighting

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

conductorsnounUS /kənˈdʌktərz/

plural of “conductor” — the person who leads a musical group

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.

CourtnounUS /kɔːrt/

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.

DukenounUS /duːk/

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

GENIUSnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

GrandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

greetverbUS /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

hitverbUS /hɪt/

cause to move by striking

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

motormen

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

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

notebooknounUS /ˈnoʊtbʊk/

a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

policemennounUS /pəˈliːsmɪn/

plural of “policeman” — a member of a police force

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

productionsnounUS /prəˈdʌkʃənz/

plural of “production” — the act or process of producing something

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

relationsnounUS /riˈleɪʃənz/

mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

SALARIESnounUS /ˈsæləriz/

plural of “salary” — something that remunerates

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

socialadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊʃəl/

relating to human society and its members

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

TENOR'S

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

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

theatrenounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading I had letters to some of the people in the town through relations, and took as much part as I had time for in the really charming, if slightly narrow, social life of the place.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The centre of everything was, of course, the Court.

watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/

look attentively

From this reading The Grand Duke took a great interest in the theatre, and used to watch the productions notebook in hand.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Even the conductors and motormen of the street cars used to greet me as they passed and all the policemen were my friends.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading SALARIES AND A TENOR'S GENIUS If you make a hit with the audience your residence in the town is made very pleasant.

Chapter 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer by Kathleen Howard holds 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer contain?

Chapter 15 holds 73 sentences of Confessions of an Opera Singer, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer by Kathleen Howard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 73 sentences, grouped into 15 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 15 of Confessions of an Opera Singer?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 15 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Confessions of an Opera Singer

Common questions about reading Confessions of an Opera Singer by Kathleen Howard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Confessions of an Opera Singer?

Yes. All 2568 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32980 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Confessions of an Opera Singer is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32980, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Confessions of an Opera Singer take to read?

About 214 minutes of reading across 514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Confessions of an Opera Singer section by section

How to work through Confessions of an Opera Singer section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Confessions of an Opera Singer 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 Confessions of an Opera Singer

Words and structures a reader meets early in Confessions of an Opera Singer, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fantastic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an Opera Singer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an Opera Singer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Students'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an Opera Singer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Abroad
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Confessions of an Opera Singer; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.