Chapter 8 of Cottage on the Curve is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Cottage on the Curve is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek. “‘Reading, indeed,’ said her husband. ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’ “‘Yes,’ said Great-grandmother, leaning forward. ‘What is the name of the book?’
Chapter 8 of Cottage on the Curve is here in full — 421 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/84 · 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.
European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading “‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’”
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading “‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’”
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading “‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’”
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading ““‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.”
French writer remembered for his swashbuckling historical tales (1802-1870)
From this reading “‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’”
a person of French nationality
From this reading “‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’”
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading ““‘Yes,’ said Great-grandmother, leaning forward.”
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading ““‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.”
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.
In this reading “‘What is the name of the book?’”
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 ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
(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 ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
showing who or what does the action
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
French writer remembered for his swashbuckling historical tales (1802-1870)
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
at or to or toward the front
From this reading “‘Yes,’ said Great-grandmother, leaning forward.
a person of French nationality
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
a married man; a woman's partner in marriage
From this reading “‘Reading, indeed,’ said her husband.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading “‘Reading, indeed,’ said her husband.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘What is the name of the book?’
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading “‘Yes,’ said Great-grandmother, leaning forward.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading ‘What is the name of the book?’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘What is the name of the book?’
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “‘Reading, indeed,’ said her husband.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘What is the name of the book?’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “‘What are they reading?’ asked Great-grandmother with her hand on her cheek.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading ‘Sure, and they’re all too busy for that, but if it was reading they had time for it would be a book by a Frenchman, Alexander Dumas.’
an affirmative
From this reading “‘Yes,’ said Great-grandmother, leaning forward.
Chapter 8 of Cottage on the Curve by Mary Lamers holds 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 8 holds 421 sentences of Cottage on the Curve, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Cottage on the Curve by Mary Lamers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 421 sentences, grouped into 85 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 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 85 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 8 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 Cottage on the Curve by Mary Lamers on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3805 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54946 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54946, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 317 minutes of reading across 761 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cottage on the Curve section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 9 chapters of Cottage on the Curve 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 Cottage on the Curve, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
