Chapter 8 of Holiday stories is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of Holiday stories is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
INTRODUCTORY. "Do be quiet, Jack. I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion. What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!" "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
Chapter 8 of Holiday stories is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/15 · 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.
serving to open or begin
From this reading “INTRODUCTORY.”
lost temporarily; as especially put in an unaccustomed or forgotten place
From this reading “"And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.”
plural of “plague” — a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
From this reading “What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"”
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading “I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.”
-ing form of “rummage” — search haphazardly
From this reading “I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.”
giving satisfaction
From this reading “I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.”
past form of “stray” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading “"And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.”
in utter disorder
From this reading “I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.”
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 this reading “I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.”
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 I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
(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 "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Do be quiet, Jack.
for the reason that
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Do be quiet, Jack.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
serving to open or begin
From this reading INTRODUCTORY.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
a small worthless amount
From this reading "Do be quiet, Jack.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
lost temporarily; as especially put in an unaccustomed or forgotten place
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
in other respects or ways
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
plural of “plague” — a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "Do be quiet, Jack.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
worried and uneasy
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
-ing form of “rummage” — search haphazardly
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
giving satisfaction
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
inflected form of “steal” — take without the owner's consent
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
past form of “stray” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading "And all because a penny is lost, stolen, strayed, or otherwise mislaid.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
in utter disorder
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What restless plagues lads are, to be sure!"
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
which person or people
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
produce a literary work
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I wonder who can read, write, or think, with any hope of satisfactory results, whilst you are turning everything topsy-turvy and rummaging round in such a fashion.
Chapter 8 of Holiday stories by Ruth Lamb holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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.
Chapter 8 holds 79 sentences of Holiday stories, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of Holiday stories by Ruth Lamb exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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 8 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 Holiday stories by Ruth Lamb on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Holiday stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Holiday stories 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 Holiday stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
