Chapter 3 of Homestead Ranch is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Homestead Ranch is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent. He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes. As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly. "My brother is not here just now," the girl said. "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
Chapter 3 of Homestead Ranch is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading “He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.”
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading “A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.”
enclose with a fence
From this reading “"He has gone after a load of fence posts.”
to a considerable degree
From this reading “He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.”
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading “"He has gone after a load of fence posts.”
plural of “post” — the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand
From this reading “"He has gone after a load of fence posts.”
in a reassuring manner
From this reading “As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.”
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading “A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.”
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 “As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.”
In this reading “He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.”
In this reading “He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.”
make oneself visible; take action
In this reading “As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.”
In this reading “A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.”
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 A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
later than; following
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
enclose with a fence
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
a young female
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
destroyed or killed
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
and nothing more
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
weight to be borne or conveyed
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
plural of “post” — the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand
From this reading "He has gone after a load of fence posts.
in a reassuring manner
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "My brother is not here just now," the girl said.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading As Harriet rose and came forward, he smiled reassuringly.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A stranger stood in the doorway of the tent.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He was short and heavily built, with a big, close-shaven head and small, bright eyes.
Chapter 3 of Homestead Ranch by Elizabeth G. Young holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 3 holds 231 sentences of Homestead Ranch, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Homestead Ranch by Elizabeth G. Young exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 3 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 Homestead Ranch by Elizabeth G. Young on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5397 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #63389 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #63389, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 449 minutes of reading across 1080 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Homestead Ranch section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 22 chapters of Homestead Ranch 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 Homestead Ranch, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
