Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Portia
Portia

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Portia is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Portia
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."
--SHAKESPEARE.
"JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.
It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.
"I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.
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.

Portia

Chapter VI · Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of Portia is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."
Line 2
--SHAKESPEARE.
/ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
Line 3
"JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.
Line 4
It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.
/ɪt ɪz ˈevədənt ðæt ðɪs ˈsʌdən əˈnaʊnsmənt hæz ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː bɪn fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Line 5
"I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.
/aɪ hɜːrd frʌm hɜːr ðɪs ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ʃiː sez hæf əˌpɑːləˈdʒetɪkliː bʌt ˈnevər θɔːt ʌv ˈtelɪŋ juː ənˈtɪl naʊ/

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.

announcement noun US /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

From this reading “It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.”

apologetically adverb US /əˌpɑːləˈdʒetɪkliː/

in an apologetic manner

From this reading “"I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.”

evident adjective US /ˈevədənt/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading “It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.”

hitherto adverb US /ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading “It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.”

mirth noun US /mɜːrθ/

great merriment

From this reading “"Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."”

poised adjective US /pɔɪzd/

marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action

From this reading “"JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.”

shakespeare noun US /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading “--SHAKESPEARE.”

unsure adjective US /ənˈʃʊr/

lacking self-confidence

From this reading “"Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."”

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.

until now preposition + adverb

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

In this reading “"I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.”

All words in this reading · 52

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(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 "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

announcementnounUS /əˈnaʊnsmənt/

a formal public statement

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

apologeticallyadverbUS /əˌpɑːləˈdʒetɪkliː/

in an apologetic manner

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

Dulce

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

evidentadjectiveUS /ˈevədənt/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

hithertoadverbUS /ˈhɪðɜːrˈtuː/

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

JULIA

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

laughternounUS /ˈlæftər/

the sound of laughing

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

mirthnounUS /mɜːrθ/

great merriment

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

poisedadjectiveUS /pɔɪzd/

marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

PresentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

SHAKESPEAREnounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading --SHAKESPEARE.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

suddenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌdən/

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

tea-pot

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

tellingadjectiveUS /ˈtelɪŋ/

disclosing unintentionally something concealed

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It is evident that this sudden announcement has hitherto been forgotten.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

to-day

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

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

unsureadjectiveUS /ənˈʃʊr/

lacking self-confidence

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

What's

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

From this reading "Present mirth hath present laughter, What's to come is still unsure."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "JULIA is coming to-day," says Dulce, looking at them all, with the tea-pot poised in her hand.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I heard from her this morning," she says, half apologetically, "but never thought of telling you until now.

Chapter 6 of Portia by Duchess holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 6 of Portia contain?

Chapter 6 holds 132 sentences of Portia, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 6 of Portia by Duchess exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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 6 of Portia?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 6 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 6 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 Portia

Common questions about reading Portia by Duchess on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Portia?

Yes. All 6566 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #31825 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Portia is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #31825, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Portia take to read?

About 547 minutes of reading across 1314 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Portia section by section

How to work through Portia section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 29 chapters of Portia 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 Portia

Words and structures a reader meets early in Portia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Child
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Portia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grandmother
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Portia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Female
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Portia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sweet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Portia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.