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Friend Mac Donald
Friend Mac Donald

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Friend Mac Donald is here in full — 30 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
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Scotch Bonhomie.
-- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.
-- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.
-- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.
It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Friend Mac Donald

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Friend Mac Donald is here in full — 30 sentences across 6 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Scotch Bonhomie.
Line 2
-- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.
Line 3
-- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.
/ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz ʌv ə ˈlektʃərər/
Line 4
-- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.
Line 5
It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.
/ɪt siːmz streɪndʒ ðæt ɪn ðɪs ˈkʌntri soʊ rɪˈlɪdʒəs æz ɪt ɪz moʊst ʌv ðə ˈænəkdoʊts wɪtʃ ðə ˈpiːpəl ɑːr fɑːnd ʌv rɪˈleɪtɪŋ ʃʊd rəˈfɜːr tuː rɪˈlɪdʒən ənd ðæt ðə ˈhɪroʊ ʌv ðem ʃʊd ˈdʒenərəli biː ðə ˈmɪnəstər/

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.

anecdotes noun US /ˈænəkdoʊts/

plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

From this reading “It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.”

Englishman noun US /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/

a man who is a native or inhabitant of England

From this reading “-- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.”

Humour noun US /ˈhjuːmər/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading “-- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.”

Lecturer noun US /ˈlektʃərər/

a public lecturer at certain universities

From this reading “-- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.”

refer verb US /rəˈfɜːr/

make reference to

From this reading “It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.”

relating verb US /rɪˈleɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “relate” — make a logical or causal connection

From this reading “It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.”

Reminiscences noun US /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading “-- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.”

Scotch noun US /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading “Scotch Bonhomie.”

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.

seems strange verb + adjective counted as “seem strange”

In this reading “It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 -- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading -- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.

anecdotesnounUS /ˈænəkdoʊts/

plural of “anecdote” — short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

Bonhomienoun

a disposition to be friendly and approachable (easy to talk to)

From this reading Scotch Bonhomie.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

EnglishmannounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/

a man who is a native or inhabitant of England

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

fondadjectiveUS /fɑːnd/

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

How

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

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

HumournounUS /ˈhjuːmər/

a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling

From this reading -- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

LecturernounUS /ˈlektʃərər/

a public lecturer at certain universities

From this reading -- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.

ministernounUS /ˈmɪnəstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading -- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

Quick-Wittednessnoun

intelligence as revealed by an ability to give correct responses without delay

From this reading -- Humour and Quick-Wittedness.

referverbUS /rəˈfɜːr/

make reference to

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

relatingverbUS /rɪˈleɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “relate” — make a logical or causal connection

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

religionnounUS /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

religiousadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

ReminiscencesnounUS /ˌreməˈnɪsənsɪz/

plural of “reminiscence” — a mental impression retained and recalled from the past

From this reading -- Reminiscences of a Lecturer.

ScotchnounUS /skɑːtʃ/

a slight surface cut (especially a notch that is made to keep a tally)

From this reading Scotch Bonhomie.

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading -- How the Author was once taken for an Englishman.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It seems strange that in this country, so religious as it is, most of the anecdotes which the people are fond of relating should refer to religion, and that the hero of them should generally be the minister.

Chapter 12 of Friend Mac Donald by Max O'Rell holds 30 sentences, grouped into 6 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 12 of Friend Mac Donald contain?

Chapter 12 holds 30 sentences of Friend Mac Donald, unabridged, divided into 6 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Friend Mac Donald by Max O'Rell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 30 sentences, grouped into 6 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 12 of Friend Mac Donald?

Work through the 6 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 6 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Friend Mac Donald

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Is this the complete text of Friend Mac Donald?

Yes. All 2488 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33883 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Friend Mac Donald is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33883, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Friend Mac Donald take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 498 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Friend Mac Donald

Words and structures a reader meets early in Friend Mac Donald, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Donald
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Friend Mac Donald; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scotch
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Friend Mac Donald; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Anecdote
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Friend Mac Donald; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Friend Mac Donald; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.