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Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life
Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life
Context Illustration Reading 4/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:
"No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.
I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.
It ain't polite."
This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life is here in full — 415 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 4/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 16–20

Line 1
Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:
Line 2
"No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.
Line 3
I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.
Line 4
It ain't polite."
Line 5
This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.
/ðɪs wɪð ə ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ smaɪl ənd dərˈekt ənd ˈkændəd ɡeɪz/

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.

assurance noun US /əˈʃʊrəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading “Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:”

Bailey noun US /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading “Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:”

candid adjective US /ˈkændəd/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading “This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.”

devastating adjective US /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/

making light of

From this reading “Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:”

placid adjective US /ˈplæsəd/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading “Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:”

polite adjective US /pəˈlaɪt/

showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.

From this reading “It ain't polite."”

reassuring adjective US /ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ/

restoring confidence and relieving anxiety

From this reading “This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.”

serene adjective US /sərˈiːn/

not agitated; without losing self-possession

From this reading “Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:”

All words in this reading · 50

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 Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

ain't

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

From this reading It ain't polite."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

assurancenounUS /əˈʃʊrəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

BaileynounUS /ˈbeɪli/

United States singer (1918-1990)

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

candidadjectiveUS /ˈkændəd/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

consciousadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnʃəs/

intentionally conceived

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

devastatingadjectiveUS /ˈdevəsteɪtɪŋ/

making light of

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

directverbUS /dərˈekt/

command with authority

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

don't

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

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

guilelessness

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It ain't polite."

killedverbUS /kɪld/

past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

latelyadverbUS /ˈleɪtli/

in the recent past

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

ma'an

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

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

mammanounUS /ˈmɑːmə/

informal terms for a mother

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

MissverbUS /mɪs/

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

nobodypronounUS /ˈnoʊbɑːdiː/

no person; not anyone

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "No ma'an, I don't makes no snoot on nobody.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

placidadjectiveUS /ˈplæsəd/

(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

politeadjectiveUS /pəˈlaɪt/

showing regard for others in manners, speech, behavior, etc.

From this reading It ain't polite."

reassuringadjectiveUS /ˌriːəˈʃʊrɪŋ/

restoring confidence and relieving anxiety

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

Sadie

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

searchverbUS /sɜːrtʃ/

try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

sereneadjectiveUS /sərˈiːn/

not agitated; without losing self-possession

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

smileverbUS /smaɪl/

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

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

snootnoun

a person regarded as arrogant and annoying

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

sooneradverbUS /ˈsuːnər/

comparatives of “soon” or “early”

From this reading I get killed as anything off of my mamma sooner I makes a snoot.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Miss Bailey turned to the so lately placid face of Sadie in search of the devastating "snoot," but met only a serene glance of conscious guilelessness and the assurance:

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This with a reassuring smile and direct and candid gaze.

Chapter 1 of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life by Myra Kelly holds 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life contain?

Chapter 1 holds 415 sentences of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life by Myra Kelly exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 415 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life

Common questions about reading Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life by Myra Kelly on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life?

Yes. All 2978 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #6662 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #6662, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life take to read?

About 248 minutes of reading across 596 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life section by section

How to work through Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life 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 Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life

Words and structures a reader meets early in Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Teacher
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Something
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frontispiece
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Isidore
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Little Citizens: The Humours of School Life; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.