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Penelope's English Experiences
Penelope's English Experiences

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Penelope's English Experiences is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.
I am here alone.
Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.
If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.
Francesca has accompanied Salemina.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Penelope's English Experiences

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Penelope's English Experiences is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.
Line 2
I am here alone.
/aɪ æm hiːr əˈloʊn/
Line 3
Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.
Line 4
If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.
/ɪf ʃiː kæn dɪˈskʌvər ˈeniθɪŋ ðæt ðeɪ ɑːr nɑːt ɔːlˈredi ˈduːɪŋ ˈbetər ɪn ˈbɑːstən ʃiː wɪl teɪk ɪt bæk wɪð hɜːr bʌt hɜːr steɪt ʌv maɪnd rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ ðə ˈaʊtkʌm ʌv ðə trɪp maɪt biː dɪˈskraɪbd æz wʌn ʌv ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti tɪŋd wɪð hoʊp/
Line 5
Francesca has accompanied Salemina.

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.

educational adjective US /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃənəl/

relating to the process of education

From this reading “Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.”

Holly noun US /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading “West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.”

incredulity noun US /ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti/

doubt about the truth of something

From this reading “If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.”

industrial adjective US /ˌɪnˈdʌstriəl/

of or relating to or resulting from industry

From this reading “Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.”

inspect verb US /ˌɪnˈspekt/

look over carefully

From this reading “Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.”

notebook noun US /ˈnoʊtbʊk/

a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda

From this reading “Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.”

outcome noun US /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

From this reading “If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.”

tinged verb US /tɪŋd/

past form of “tinge” — affect as in thought or feeling

From this reading “If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

189

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

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

accompaniedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌmpənid/

having companions or an escort

From this reading Francesca has accompanied Salemina.

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading I am here alone.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am here alone.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

bagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

Belvern

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

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

BostonnounUS /ˈbɑːstən/

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

clothnounUS /klɔːθ/

artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

describedadjectiveUS /dɪˈskraɪbd/

represented in words especially with sharpness and detail

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

discoververbUS /dɪˈskʌvər/

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

educationaladjectiveUS /ˌedʒəˈkeɪʃənəl/

relating to the process of education

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

Francesca

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

From this reading Francesca has accompanied Salemina.

GermanynounUS /ˈdʒɜːrməni/

a republic in central Europe; split into East Germany and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading I am here alone.

HollynounUS /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am here alone.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

incredulitynounUS /ˌɪnkrəˈduːlɪti/

doubt about the truth of something

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

industrialadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdʌstriəl/

of or relating to or resulting from industry

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

inspectverbUS /ˌɪnˈspekt/

look over carefully

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

methodsnounUS /ˈmeθədz/

plural of “method” — a way of doing something, especially a systematic way; implies an orderly logical arrangement (usually in steps)

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

notebooknounUS /ˈnoʊtbʊk/

a book with blank pages for recording notes or memoranda

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

outcomenounUS /ˈaʊtkʌm/

something that results

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

regardingverbUS /rɪˈɡɑːrdɪŋ/

-ing form of “regard” — deem to be

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

Salemina

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

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

tingedverbUS /tɪŋd/

past form of “tinge” — affect as in thought or feeling

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Salemina has taken her little cloth bag and her notebook and gone to inspect the educational and industrial methods of Germany.

tripnounUS /trɪp/

a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

WestnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading West Belvern, Holly House August 189-.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If she can discover anything that they are not already doing better in Boston, she will take it back with her, but her state of mind regarding the outcome of the trip might be described as one of incredulity tinged with hope.

Chapter 15 of Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin holds 67 sentences, grouped into 14 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 15 of Penelope's English Experiences contain?

Chapter 15 holds 67 sentences of Penelope's English Experiences, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 15 of Penelope's English Experiences?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Penelope's English Experiences

Common questions about reading Penelope's English Experiences by Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Penelope's English Experiences?

Yes. All 1348 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1278 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Penelope's English Experiences is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1278, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Penelope's English Experiences take to read?

About 112 minutes of reading across 270 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Penelope's English Experiences section by section

How to work through Penelope's English Experiences section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of Penelope's English Experiences 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 Penelope's English Experiences

Words and structures a reader meets early in Penelope's English Experiences, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dovermarle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Penelope's English Experiences; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Street
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Penelope's English Experiences; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Penelope's English Experiences; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Again
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Penelope's English Experiences; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.