Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery is here in full — 190 sentences across 38 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 Knob Hill Mystery is here in full — 190 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch. She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway. "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl. "You're all out of breath." "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery is here in full — 190 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 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.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
moving swiftly
From this reading “Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.”
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading “"Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.”
an expression of greeting
From this reading “"Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.”
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading “Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.”
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading “Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman 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 “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
In this reading “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
In this reading “Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.”
In this reading “"I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.”
In this reading “She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.”
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 "You're all out of breath."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading "You're all out of breath."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
having hair of a dark color
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
moving swiftly
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
a young female
From this reading "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
and nothing more
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
a particular point in time
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "You're all out of breath."
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She did not need to ring the bell, for just at that moment Susan, her dark-haired chum, appeared in the open doorway.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "I ran most of the way from home," replied Penny.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, hello, Penny," greeted the Altman girl.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Penny Nichols, hair flying in the wind, came running up the steps of the Altman porch.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You're all out of breath."
Chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery by Joan Clark holds 190 sentences, grouped into 38 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 190 sentences of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery by Joan Clark exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 190 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 Knob Hill Mystery by Joan Clark on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33383 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33383, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 677 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Penny Nichols and the Knob Hill Mystery 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 Knob Hill Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
