Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch. "Hello, Susan. Been waiting long?" "Only about ten minutes, Penny." "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp is here in full — 200 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
being or having light colored skin and hair and usually blue or grey eyes
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
worn and broken down by hard use
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading “"Hello, Susan.”
past form of “lurch” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
an open automobile having a front seat and a rumble seat
From this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “"Only about ten minutes, Penny."”
a porch for the front door
In this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
In this reading “"I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."”
at or in the front
In this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
In this reading “"Only about ten minutes, Penny."”
In this reading “A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Only about ten minutes, Penny."
marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Been waiting long?"
being or having light colored skin and hair and usually blue or grey eyes
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
favorite
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
having hair of a dark color
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
worn and broken down by hard use
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
a young female
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
cause to stop
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Hello, Susan.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Been waiting long?"
past form of “lurch” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
engage in
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading "Only about ten minutes, Penny."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
and nothing more
From this reading "Only about ten minutes, Penny."
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading "Only about ten minutes, Penny."
sufficiently fat so as to have a pleasing fullness of figure
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
an open automobile having a front seat and a rumble seat
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
not in physical motion
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Hello, Susan.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading "Only about ten minutes, Penny."
used as intensifiers
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Been waiting long?"
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "I'm terribly sorry to be late, but I think we can still make it on time if we hurry."
which person or people
From this reading A slightly decrepit roadster lurched to an abrupt halt in front of the Altman residence, and the blond, blue-eyed driver hailed a plump, dark-haired girl who stood on the front porch.
Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp by Joan Clark holds 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 200 sentences of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp by Joan Clark exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 200 sentences, grouped into 40 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 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 40 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 Penny Nichols and the Black Imp by Joan Clark on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3573 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33382 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33382, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 297 minutes of reading across 715 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Penny Nichols and the Black Imp section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Penny Nichols and the Black Imp 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 Penny Nichols and the Black Imp, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
