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Dorothy Dale in the West
Dorothy Dale in the West

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Dorothy Dale in the West
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.
And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.
“It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.
“That’s what I call it.
Why!
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Dorothy Dale in the West

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West is here in full — 202 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.
Line 2
And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.
/ənd æz ðə sʌn wɑːz ɔːlˈredi ˈnɪrɪŋ ðə tɑːps ʌv ðə ˈhaɪər piːks tuː ðə ˈwestwərd ˈniːðər ʌv ðə ɡɜːrlz kerd tuː ˈlɪŋɡər ˈlɔːŋɡər ɑːn ðə haɪt/
Line 3
“It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.
Line 4
“That’s what I call it.
Line 5
Why!
/waɪ/

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.

dell noun US /del/

a small wooded hollow

From this reading “TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.”

fizzle verb US /ˈfɪzəl/

end weakly

From this reading ““It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.”

grumbled verb US /ˈɡrʌmbəld/

past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

From this reading ““It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.”

linger verb US /ˈlɪŋɡər/

remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading “And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.”

nearing verb US /ˈnɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “near” — move towards

From this reading “And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.”

peaks noun US /piːks/

plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value

From this reading “And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.”

ponies noun US /ˈpoʊniz/

plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States

From this reading “TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.”

retrace verb US /riˈtreɪs/

to go back over again

From this reading “TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.”

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.

IN THE DARK preposition + article + noun counted as “in … dark”

In this reading “TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.”

All words in this reading · 61

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 “It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.

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 “It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading “That’s what I call it.

caredverbUS /kerd/

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

DARKnounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

dellnounUS /del/

a small wooded hollow

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

Dorothy

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/

with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

EYESnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

fizzleverbUS /ˈfɪzəl/

end weakly

From this reading “It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

grumbledverbUS /ˈɡrʌmbəld/

past form of “grumble” — show one's unhappiness or critical attitude

From this reading “It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

higheradjectiveUS /ˈhaɪər/

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “That’s what I call it.

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “That’s what I call it.

It's

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

From this reading “It’s all a fizzle,” grumbled Tavia.

lingerverbUS /ˈlɪŋɡər/

remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/

for more time

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

mountainnounUS /ˈmaʊntən/

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

nearingverbUS /ˈnɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “near” — move towards

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

peaksnounUS /piːks/

plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

poniesnounUS /ˈpoʊniz/

plural of “pony” — a range horse of the western United States

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

retraceverbUS /riˈtreɪs/

to go back over again

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

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

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

Tavia

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

That's

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

From this reading “That’s what I call it.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

tiedadjectiveUS /taɪd/

bound or secured closely

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/

of the highest quality

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

TWOnounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

westwardadverbUS /ˈwestwərd/

toward the west

From this reading And as the sun was already nearing the tops of the higher peaks to the westward, neither of the girls cared to linger longer on the height.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “That’s what I call it.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading TWO EYES IN THE DARK Now, although there had been no path up the mountain from the dell where the girls had tied their ponies, both Dorothy and Tavia were sure they could retrace their steps easily enough.

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading Why!

Chapter 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West by Margaret Penrose holds 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West contain?

Chapter 20 holds 202 sentences of Dorothy Dale in the West, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West by Margaret Penrose exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 202 sentences, grouped into 41 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 20 of Dorothy Dale in the West?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 Dorothy Dale in the West

Common questions about reading Dorothy Dale in the West by Margaret Penrose on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dorothy Dale in the West?

Yes. All 4198 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54022 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dorothy Dale in the West is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54022, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dorothy Dale in the West take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 840 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dorothy Dale in the West section by section

How to work through Dorothy Dale in the West section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 26 chapters of Dorothy Dale in the West 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 Dorothy Dale in the West

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dorothy Dale in the West, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dorothy Dale in the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Dorothy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dorothy Dale in the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
To-day
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dorothy Dale in the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Glenwood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dorothy Dale in the West; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.