Chapter 5 of 'Possum is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of 'Possum is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer. "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery." He nodded to Tom. "Hold him steady." He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
Chapter 5 of 'Possum is here in full — 410 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 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.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “"I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.”
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “"Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."”
plural of “chap” — a boy or man
From this reading “"Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."”
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading “He nodded to Tom.”
make steady
From this reading “"Hold him steady."”
the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures
From this reading “"Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."”
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading “He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.”
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading “He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.”
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 “"Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."”
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 "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
plural of “chap” — a boy or man
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He nodded to Tom.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Hold him steady."
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Hold him steady."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
used to form the superlative
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
inflected form of “nod” — express or signify by nodding
From this reading He nodded to Tom.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
make steady
From this reading "Hold him steady."
the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures
From this reading "Most chaps in the Bush know a bit o’ surgery."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "I’d like a bob for every one I’ve done," said the new-comer.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He nodded to Tom.
male cat
From this reading He nodded to Tom.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
(used as an intensifier) extremely well
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
a joint between the distal end of the radius and the proximal row of carpal bones
From this reading He took the little wrist in weatherbeateh hands that were wonderfully gentle.
Chapter 5 of 'Possum by Mary Grant Bruce holds 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 5 holds 410 sentences of 'Possum, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of 'Possum by Mary Grant Bruce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 410 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 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.
Common questions about reading 'Possum by Mary Grant Bruce on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5297 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50881 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #50881, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 441 minutes of reading across 1060 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through 'Possum section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of 'Possum 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 'Possum, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
