Chapter V
Chapter 5
Chapter 5 of Half Portions is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank. "Lil?" "Sure. I told you all about her." He hadn't.
Half Portions
Chapter V · Chapter 5
Chapter 5 of Half Portions is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
Ma
Mandle
had
looked
up
at
him,
her
face
a
blank.
"Lil?"
"Sure.
I
told
you
all
about
her."
He
hadn't.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Half Portions
Chapter V · Chapter 5
Chapter 5 of Half Portions is here in full — 405 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
Ma
Mandle
had
looked
up
at
him,
her
face
a
blank.
Line 2
"Lil?"
Line 3
"Sure.
/ʃʊr/
Line 4
I
told
you
all
about
her."
/aɪ toʊld juː ɔːl əˈbaʊt hɜːr/
Line 5
He
hadn't.
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.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “I told you all about her."”
blank
adjective
US /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading “Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.”
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “"Sure.”
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading “I told you all about her."”
All words in this reading · 20
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 Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I told you all about her."
(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 I told you all about her."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
blankadjectiveUS /blæŋk/
(of a surface) not written or printed on
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
hadn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He hadn't.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He hadn't.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I told you all about her."
Lil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Lil?"
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
ManounUS /mɑː/
informal terms for a mother
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
Mandle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading "Sure.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading I told you all about her."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Ma Mandle had looked up at him, her face a blank.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I told you all about her."
Chapter 5 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber holds 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 of Half Portions contain?
Chapter 5 holds 405 sentences of Half Portions, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 405 sentences, grouped into 81 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 5 of Half Portions?
Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 81 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 5 be read aloud to me?
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Half Portions
Common questions about reading Half Portions by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Half Portions?
Yes. All 5692 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14714 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Half Portions is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #14714, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Half Portions take to read?
About 474 minutes of reading across 1139 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Half Portions section by section
How to work through Half Portions section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Half Portions to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Half Portions
Words and structures a reader meets early in Half Portions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Called
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half Portions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Describe
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half Portions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Sophy
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half Portions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Dictionary
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Half Portions; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.