Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Dorothy Whitehill • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw.

“Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

“Thank goodness.”

“Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter V Reading 1/28

Polly's First Year at Boarding School Dorothy Whitehill

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw. “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis: “Thank goodness.” “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls. Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is here in full — 144 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/28 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw.

Line 2

“Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

/ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ kʌmz bʌt wʌns ə jɪr ʃiː ˈtʃæntɪd tuː noʊ wʌn ɪn pərˈtɪkjələr ˈædɪŋ wɪð ə ˈhɑːrtfelt saɪ tuː ɡɪv ðə wɜːrdz ˈemfəsəs/

Line 3

“Thank goodness.”

/θæŋk ˈɡʊdnəs/

Line 4

“Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

Line 5

Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

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.

assortment noun US /əˈsɔːrtmənt/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading ““Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.”

chanted adjective US /ˈtʃæntɪd/

sung or uttered rhythmically in a monotone

From this reading ““Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:”

erecting noun US /ɪˈrektɪŋ/

the act of building or putting up

From this reading ““Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.”

Guile noun US /ɡaɪl/

shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

From this reading ““Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.”

gurgling verb US /ˈɡɜːrɡəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “gurgle” — flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise

From this reading “Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:”

heartfelt adjective US /ˈhɑːrtfelt/

sincerely earnest

From this reading ““Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:”

shawls noun US /ʃɔːlz/

plural of “shawl” — cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders

From this reading ““Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.”

sucking noun US /ˈsʌkɪŋ/

the act of sucking

From this reading “THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

Thank goodness verb + noun

In this reading ““Thank goodness.””

grand piano adjective + noun

a piano with the strings on a horizontal harp-shaped frame; usually supported by three legs

In this reading “THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw.”

gurgling sound verb + noun counted as “gurgle sound”

In this reading “Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:”

straightened up verb + adjective counted as “straighten up”

straighten oneself

In this reading “Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:”

Assembly Hall noun + noun

a hall where many people can congregate

attracted by verb + particle counted as “attract by”

In this reading “Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:”

on the platform preposition + article + noun counted as “on … platform”

by means preposition + noun

All words in this reading · 78

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE THANKSGIVING PARTY Betty was sitting on top of the grand piano on the platform in the Assembly Hall, kicking her feet and sucking a very large lemon by means of a stick of candy used as a straw.

accusingadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːzɪŋ/

containing or expressing accusation

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

addingverbUS /ˈædɪŋ/

-ing form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

AssemblynounUS /əˈsembli/

a group of machine parts that fit together to form a self-contained unit

assortmentnounUS /əˈsɔːrtmənt/

a collection containing a variety of sorts of things

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

attractedverbUS /əˈtræktɪd/

past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

Betty

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

Betty's

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

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

candynounUS /ˈkændi/

a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts

chantedadjectiveUS /ˈtʃæntɪd/

sung or uttered rhythmically in a monotone

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

demandedverbUS /dɪˈmændəd/

past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

emphasisnounUS /ˈemfəsəs/

special importance or significance

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

erectingnounUS /ɪˈrektɪŋ/

the act of building or putting up

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

fingerverbUS /ˈfɪŋɡər/

feel or handle with the fingers

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

goodnessnounUS /ˈɡʊdnəs/

that which is pleasing or valuable or useful

From this reading “Thank goodness.”

grandadjectiveUS /ɡrænd/

of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope

gratefuladjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtfəl/

feeling or showing gratitude

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

GuilenounUS /ɡaɪl/

shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

gurglingverbUS /ˈɡɜːrɡəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “gurgle” — flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

gypsynounUS /ˈdʒɪpsi/

a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

heartfeltadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrtfelt/

sincerely earnest

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

kickingnounUS /ˈkɪkɪŋ/

a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

lemonnounUS /ˈlemən/

yellow oval fruit with juicy acidic flesh

meansnounUS /miːnz/

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

miscellaneousadjectiveUS /ˌmɪsəˈleɪniəs/

consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

PARTYnounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

pausingverbUS /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

pianonounUS /piˈænoʊ/

a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds

platformnounUS /ˈplætfɔːrm/

a raised horizontal surface

pointingverbUS /ˈpɔɪntɪŋ/

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/

past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

shawlsnounUS /ʃɔːlz/

plural of “shawl” — cloak consisting of an oblong piece of cloth used to cover the head and shoulders

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

sighverbUS /saɪ/

heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

soundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

stickverbUS /stɪk/

put, fix, force, or implant

straightenedverbUS /ˈstreɪtənd/

past form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

strawnounUS /strɔː/

plant fiber used e.g. for making baskets and hats or as fodder

suckingnounUS /ˈsʌkɪŋ/

the act of sucking

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

ThankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading “Thank goodness.”

THANKSGIVINGnounUS /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/

fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Then, attracted by the gurgling sound of Betty’s lemon, she straightened up, and pointing an accusing finger, demanded:

usedadjectiveUS /juːzd/

employed in accomplishing something

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/

the words that are spoken

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

would-beadjective

unfulfilled or frustrated in realizing an ambition

From this reading “Why so grateful?” questioned Florence Guile pausing in the act of erecting a would-be gypsy tent out of a miscellaneous assortment of shawls.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading “Thanksgiving comes but once a year,” she chanted to no one in particular, adding, with a heartfelt sigh to give the words emphasis:

Chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill holds 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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.

What does chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School contain?

Chapter 5 holds 144 sentences of Polly's First Year at Boarding School, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 144 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.

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Yes. All 3724 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #39570 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #39570, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 310 minutes of reading across 745 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Words and structures a reader meets early in Polly's First Year at Boarding School, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Barse: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Polly's First Year at Boarding School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Polly: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Polly's First Year at Boarding School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Polly's First Year at Boarding School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter V

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