Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Polly's First Year at Boarding School
Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Polly's First Year at Boarding School
Context Illustration Reading 1/28 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.
Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.
Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.
The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.
The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is here in full — 143 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.
/ˈpræktəsɪŋ fɔːr ðə ˈɪndɔːr miːt ðə læst bel hæd dʒʌst ˈsaʊndɪd ənd ðə ɡɜːrlz wɜːr ˈliːvɪŋ ðə ˈskuːlruːm fɔːr ðə deɪ/
Line 2
Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.
/tuː wiːks hæd pæst sɪns ðə ˈvæləntaɪn ˈpɑːrti/
Line 3
Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.
/təˈdeɪ wɑːz ˈwenzdi ənd ðə ˈkʌmɪŋ ˈsætərdi wɑːz ðə deɪt fɪkst fɔːr ðə ˈɪndɔːr miːt/
Line 4
The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.
Line 5
The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.
/ðə jɪr bɪˈfɔːr ðeɪ hæd pleɪd æt ˈwaɪthed ənd wɜːr ˈbiːtən/

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.

annual adjective US /ˈænjuːəl/

completing its life cycle within a year

From this reading “The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.”

indoor adjective US /ˈɪndɔːr/

located, suited for, or taking place within a building

From this reading “PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.”

practicing verb US /ˈpræktəsɪŋ/

-ing form of “practice” — carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions

From this reading “PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.”

schoolroom noun US /ˈskuːlruːm/

a room in a school where lessons take place

From this reading “PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.”

Today noun US /təˈdeɪ/

the present time or age

From this reading “Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.”

Valentine noun US /ˈvæləntaɪn/

a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading “Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.”

Wednesday noun US /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading “Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.”

Whitehead noun US /ˈwaɪthed/

English philosopher and mathematician who collaborated with Bertrand Russell (1861-1947)

From this reading “The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.”

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.

Two weeks noun + noun counted as “two week”

In this reading “Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.”

passed since verb + particle counted as “pass since”

In this reading “Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.”

All words in this reading · 45

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

annualadjectiveUS /ˈænjuːəl/

completing its life cycle within a year

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

basket-ball

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

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

beatenadjectiveUS /ˈbiːtən/

formed or made thin by hammering

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

fixedadjectiveUS /fɪkst/

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

gamenounUS /ɡeɪm/

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

INDOORadjectiveUS /ˈɪndɔːr/

located, suited for, or taking place within a building

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

MEETverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/

(of games) engaged in

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

PRACTICINGverbUS /ˈpræktəsɪŋ/

-ing form of “practice” — carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

SaturdaynounUS /ˈsætərdi/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

SchoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

schoolroomnounUS /ˈskuːlruːm/

a room in a school where lessons take place

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

Seddon

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

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

soundedverbUS /ˈsaʊndɪd/

past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

teamnounUS /tiːm/

a cooperative unit (especially in sports)

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

TodaynounUS /təˈdeɪ/

the present time or age

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

ValentinenounUS /ˈvæləntaɪn/

a sweetheart chosen to receive a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/

the fourth day of the week; the third working day

From this reading Today was Wednesday and the coming Saturday was the date fixed for the Indoor Meet.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Two weeks had passed since the Valentine party.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading PRACTICING FOR THE INDOOR MEET The last bell had just sounded and the girls were leaving the schoolroom for the day.

WhiteheadnounUS /ˈwaɪthed/

English philosopher and mathematician who collaborated with Bertrand Russell (1861-1947)

From this reading The Whitehead School basket-ball team was to meet the Seddon Hall girls for their annual game.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading The year before they had played at Whitehead and were beaten.

Chapter 11 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill holds 143 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 11 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School contain?

Chapter 11 holds 143 sentences of Polly's First Year at Boarding School, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of Polly's First Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 143 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 11 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Polly's First Year at Boarding School

Common questions about reading Polly's First Year at Boarding School by Dorothy Whitehill on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Polly's First Year at Boarding School?

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

Which edition of Polly's First Year at Boarding School is used?

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

How long does Polly's First Year at Boarding School take to read?

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

How to read Polly's First Year at Boarding School section by section

How to work through Polly's First Year at Boarding School section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Polly's First Year at Boarding School 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 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.
Newark
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.
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.