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Elsie's Winter Trip
Elsie's Winter Trip

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Elsie's Winter Trip
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.
"I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.
"How early would you like to have it?"
"About seven, I think.
I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.
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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.

Elsie's Winter Trip

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip is here in full — 196 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.
Line 2
"I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.
/aɪ θɪŋk soʊ ʃiː rɪˈtɜːrnd ˈɡɪvɪŋ hɪm æn əˈfekʃənət lʊk ənd smaɪl/
Line 3
"How early would you like to have it?"
Line 4
"About seven, I think.
/əˈbaʊt ˈsevən aɪ θɪŋk/
Line 5
I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.
/aɪ hæv toʊld ˈaʊər ˈkoʊtʃmən dʒæk ðæt aɪ wɑːnt ðə ˈkærɪdʒ æt eɪt/

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.

affectionate adjective US /əˈfekʃənət/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading “"I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.”

breakfast verb US /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

carriage noun US /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading “I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.”

Chester noun US /ˈtʃestər/

a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)

From this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

coachman noun US /ˈkoʊtʃmən/

a man who drives a coach (or carriage)

From this reading “I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.”

eight adjective US /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading “I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.”

preparations noun US /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose

From this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

retiring adjective US /rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ/

not arrogant or presuming

From this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

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.

About seven preposition + noun

In this reading “"About seven, I think.”

new home adjective + noun

In this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

first night adjective + noun

In this reading “"Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "About seven, I think.

affectionateadjectiveUS /əˈfekʃənət/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

ChesternounUS /ˈtʃestər/

a city of southeastern Pennsylvania on the Delaware river (an industrial suburb of Philadelphia)

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

coachmannounUS /ˈkoʊtʃmən/

a man who drives a coach (or carriage)

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

givingnounUS /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/

the act of giving

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

How

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

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

LunounUS /luː/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

retiringadjectiveUS /rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ/

not arrogant or presuming

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading "About seven, I think.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "I think so," she returned, giving him an affectionate look and smile.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

to-morrow

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

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading I have told our coachman, Jack, that I want the carriage at eight.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "How early would you like to have it?"

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Lu, dear, can you give me an early breakfast to-morrow morning?" asked Chester, as they made their preparations for retiring that first night in their new home.

Chapter 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip by Martha Finley holds 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip contain?

Chapter 1 holds 196 sentences of Elsie's Winter Trip, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip by Martha Finley exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 196 sentences, grouped into 40 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 1 of Elsie's Winter Trip?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Elsie's Winter Trip

Common questions about reading Elsie's Winter Trip by Martha Finley on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Elsie's Winter Trip?

Yes. All 2157 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46540 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Elsie's Winter Trip is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46540, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Elsie's Winter Trip take to read?

About 179 minutes of reading across 432 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Elsie's Winter Trip section by section

How to work through Elsie's Winter Trip section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Elsie's Winter Trip 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 Elsie's Winter Trip

Words and structures a reader meets early in Elsie's Winter Trip, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Early
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie's Winter Trip; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Breakfast
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie's Winter Trip; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
To-morrow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie's Winter Trip; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Elsie's Winter Trip; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.