Chapter 1 of Marjorie's Busy Days is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Marjorie's Busy Days is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?" "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island." "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore." "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then. I'll get the cocoanuts."
Chapter 1 of Marjorie's Busy Days is here in full — 171 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
towards the shore from the water
From this reading “"I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."”
used as intensifiers
plural of “cocoanut” — large hard-shelled oval nut with a fibrous husk containing thick white meat surrounding a central cavity filled (when fresh) with fluid or milk
From this reading “I'll get the cocoanuts."”
the combined stakes of the betters
From this reading “"I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."”
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading “Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"”
a wrecked ship (or a part of one)
From this reading “Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"”
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading “Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"”
travel through water
From this reading “"I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."”
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.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then.
(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 "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
towards the shore from the water
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
used as intensifiers
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
plural of “cocoanut” — large hard-shelled oval nut with a fibrous husk containing thick white meat surrounding a central cavity filled (when fresh) with fluid or milk
From this reading I'll get the cocoanuts."
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading I'll get the cocoanuts."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'll get the cocoanuts."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
the combined stakes of the betters
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
precisely, exactly
From this reading "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
express in words
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
a wrecked ship (or a part of one)
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
a serious collision (especially of motor vehicles)
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
travel through water
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "All right," agreed Marjorie, "shipwreck, then.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading "I say shipwreck, too," said Kitty, "but I don't want to swim ashore."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I say shipwreck, with an _awfully_ desert island."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Made in the United States of America "What do you say, King, railroad smash-up or shipwreck?"
Chapter 1 of Marjorie's Busy Days by Carolyn Wells holds 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 1 holds 171 sentences of Marjorie's Busy Days, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Marjorie's Busy Days by Carolyn Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 171 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 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.
Common questions about reading Marjorie's Busy Days by Carolyn Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3796 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23531 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #23531, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 316 minutes of reading across 760 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Marjorie's Busy Days section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Marjorie's Busy Days 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 Marjorie's Busy Days, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
