Chapter 3 of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body. I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas. I gave them all to the begger child. I am, Thy Wife. I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
Chapter 3 of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard is here in full — 429 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 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.
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
past form of “embroider” — decorate with needlework
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
plural of “jacket” — a short coat
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
a purple color or pigment
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
a particular situation
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading “I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.”
very small
From this reading “I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.”
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading “I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.”
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.
(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 gave them all to the begger child.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I am, Thy Wife.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
for the reason that
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I gave them all to the begger child.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
a young person of either sex
From this reading I gave them all to the begger child.
past form of “embroider” — decorate with needlework
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
plural of “jacket” — a short coat
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
a particular situation
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading I am, Thy Wife.
very small
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
having come into contact
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I went to the box and opened it, and they lay there, the little things that had touched his tiny body.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading I am, Thy Wife.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I am reproached because I will not go to the temple.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I gave them, the trousers of purple, the jackets of red, the embroidered shoes, the caps with the many Buddhas.
Chapter 3 of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard by Elizabeth Cooper holds 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 429 sentences of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard by Elizabeth Cooper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 429 sentences, grouped into 86 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 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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 My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard by Elizabeth Cooper on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2168 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19665 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19665, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 180 minutes of reading across 434 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard 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 My Lady of the Chinese Courtyard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
