Chapter 7 of 'Possum is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of 'Possum is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy. "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near. Good man, Joe. Pass him the scones, Garth." ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
Chapter 7 of 'Possum is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 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.
getting two things to correspond
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading “’Possum’s hot flush died away.”
plural of “performance” — a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
plural of “plate” — (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
plural of “scone” — small biscuit (rich with cream and eggs) cut into diamonds or sticks and baked in an oven or (especially originally) on a griddle
From this reading “Pass him the scones, Garth."”
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 “’Possum’s hot flush died away.”
become less in amount or intensity
In this reading “’Possum’s hot flush died away.”
In this reading “"I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.”
In this reading “"I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.”
In this reading “Good man, Joe.”
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 never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
getting two things to correspond
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
plural of “cup” — a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Pass him the scones, Garth."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Pass him the scones, Garth."
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Good man, Joe.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Good man, Joe.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
go across or through
From this reading Pass him the scones, Garth."
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
plural of “performance” — a dramatic or musical entertainment
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
plural of “plate” — (baseball) base consisting of a rubber slab where the batter stands; it must be touched by a base runner in order to score
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ’Possum’s hot flush died away.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
plural of “scone” — small biscuit (rich with cream and eggs) cut into diamonds or sticks and baked in an oven or (especially originally) on a griddle
From this reading Pass him the scones, Garth."
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
a set of data arranged in rows and columns
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Pass him the scones, Garth."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
male cat
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
at the time that
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "I never could see why people should be condemned to do circus performances, balancing cups and plates, when there was a good sound table near.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I always told you it was," Tom said, drawing up his chair with joy.
Chapter 7 of 'Possum by Mary Grant Bruce holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 7 holds 414 sentences of 'Possum, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of 'Possum by Mary Grant Bruce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 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 7 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.
