Chapter 4 of Olive in Italy is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Olive in Italy is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_. Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders. "No! The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed. She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
Chapter 4 of Olive in Italy is here in full — 89 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/17 · 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 “carry” — the act of carrying something
From this reading “She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."”
having the place or position changed
From this reading “The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.”
an Italian woman of rank
small asexual reproductive structure in e.g. liverworts and mosses that detaches from the parent and develops into a new individual
From this reading “"Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.”
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading “She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."”
fixed or established especially by order or command
From this reading “The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.”
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading “Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.”
spaghetti served with a tomato sauce
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
any person at all
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
plural of “carry” — the act of carrying something
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
having the place or position changed
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
an Italian woman of rank
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
divisible by two
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.
small asexual reproductive structure in e.g. liverworts and mosses that detaches from the parent and develops into a new individual
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
not any; not one
From this reading "No!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
fixed or established especially by order or command
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading She has even locked the door, and she carries the key in her pocket."
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.
inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation
From this reading Her aunt shrugged her fat shoulders.
spaghetti served with a tomato sauce
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The _donna di servizio_ is mistress here, and she has ordained that the cousin shall not be disturbed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Has anyone seen our cousin?" asked Gemma as she helped herself to _spaghetti_.
Chapter 4 of Olive in Italy by Moray Dalton holds 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 4 holds 89 sentences of Olive in Italy, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Olive in Italy by Moray Dalton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 89 sentences, grouped into 18 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 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 18 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 4 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 Olive in Italy by Moray Dalton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4517 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29512 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #29512, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 376 minutes of reading across 904 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Olive in Italy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Olive in Italy 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 Olive in Italy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
