Chapter 7 of Cousin Betty is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Cousin Betty is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he. “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!” “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy. “Josephine was not to compare with you!” said he. “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
Chapter 7 of Cousin Betty is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/36 · 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.
examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading ““Josephine was not to compare with you!” said he.”
be worthy or deserving
From this reading ““I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!””
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading ““Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.”
insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon
From this reading ““I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!””
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading ““I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.”
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
From this reading ““I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.”
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading ““Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.”
and nothing more
From this reading ““I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.”
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 “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading “Josephine was not to compare with you!” said he.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
be worthy or deserving
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
participate in games or sport
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Josephine was not to compare with you!” said he.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
and nothing more
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I am an old lunatic, I do not deserve to have such a wife!”
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Josephine was not to compare with you!” said he.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
a card game for four players who form two partnerships; a pack of 52 cards is dealt and each side scores one point for each trick it takes in excess of six
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Come; I will play a game of whist with my brother and the children.
in the company of; together with
From this reading “I am simply the Josephine of my Napoleon,” she replied, with a touch of melancholy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Oh, what a kind and perfect wife you are!” cried he.
Chapter 7 of Cousin Betty by Honoré de Balzac holds 183 sentences, grouped into 37 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 7 holds 183 sentences of Cousin Betty, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Cousin Betty by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 sentences, grouped into 37 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 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 37 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 7 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 Cousin Betty by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7747 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1749 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1749, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1550 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Cousin Betty section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Cousin Betty 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 Cousin Betty, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
