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Rita
Rita

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Rita is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Rita
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.
If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.
They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.
L. E. R.
_Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Rita

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Rita is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.
Line 2
If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.
Line 3
They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.
Line 4
L. E. R.
/el iː ɑːr/
Line 5
_Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

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.

deplored verb US /dɪˈplɔːrd/

past form of “deplore” — express strong disapproval of

From this reading “_Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.”

extravagant adjective US /ekˈstrævəɡənt/

unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings

From this reading “If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.”

Harvest noun US /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading “Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.”

lamented adjective US /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading “_Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.”

Montfort noun US /ˈmɑːntfərt/

an English nobleman who led the baronial rebellion against Henry III (1208-1265)

From this reading “Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.”

nurtured verb US /ˈnɜːrtʃərd/

past form of “nurture” — help develop, help grow

From this reading “They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.”

privations noun US /praɪˈveɪʃənz/

plural of “privation” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading “They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.”

Senor noun US /ˌsiːˈnjɔːr/

a Spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the English “Mr” or “sir”

From this reading “_Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.”

All words in this reading · 81

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.

accountsnounUS /əˈkaʊnts/

plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

adventuresnounUS /ædˈventʃərz/

plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

BrothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

child'snounUS /tʃaɪldz/

possessive form of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/

past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

dangersnounUS /ˈdeɪndʒərz/

plural of “danger” — the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

deeplyadverbUS /ˈdiːpli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

delicateadjectiveUS /ˈdeləkət/

exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

deploredverbUS /dɪˈplɔːrd/

past form of “deplore” — express strong disapproval of

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

DonnounUS /dɑːn/

a Spanish gentleman or nobleman

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading L. E. R.

endureverbUS /enˈdjʊr/

put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

ETC

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

extravagantadjectiveUS /ekˈstrævəɡənt/

unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

Fernley

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

forcedadjectiveUS /fɔːrst/

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

HarvestnounUS /ˈhɑːrvəst/

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

Hildegarde

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

Hildegarde's

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

HolidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

HomenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

HonouredverbUS /ˈɑːnərd/

past form of “honour” — bestow honor or rewards upon

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

informverbUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrm/

impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

LnounUS /el/

a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)

From this reading L. E. R.

lamentedadjectiveUS /ləˈmentɪd/

mourned or grieved for

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

Margaret

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

Margarets

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

MontfortnounUS /ˈmɑːntfərt/

an English nobleman who led the baronial rebellion against Henry III (1208-1265)

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

NeighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/

plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

nurturedverbUS /ˈnɜːrtʃərd/

past form of “nurture” — help develop, help grow

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

Peggy

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

playverbUS /pleɪ/

participate in games or sport

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

privationsnounUS /praɪˈveɪʃənz/

plural of “privation” — a state of extreme poverty

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

publishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

QueennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

RnounUS /ɑːr/

a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air

From this reading L. E. R.

readersnounUS /ˈriːdərz/

plural of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

referverbUS /rəˈfɜːr/

make reference to

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

Richard

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

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

Rita

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

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

Rita's

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

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

seemverbUS /siːm/

give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

SenornounUS /ˌsiːˈnjɔːr/

a Spanish title or form of address for a man; similar to the English “Mr” or “sir”

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

Spanish-American

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

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

tenderlyadverbUS /ˈtendərli/

with tenderness; in a tender manner

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Three Margarets Margaret Montfort Peggy Rita Fernley House Queen Hildegarde Hildegarde's Holiday Hildegarde's Home Hildegarde's Neighbors Hildegarde's Harvest "PEGGY," "MARGARET MONTFORT," "THREE MARGARETS," ETC.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

WarnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading If this story should seem extravagant to any of my readers, I can only refer them to some one of the many published accounts of the Spanish-American War.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading They will find that many delicate and tenderly nurtured girls were forced to endure dangers and privations compared to which Rita's adventures seem like child's play.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading _Honoured Senor and Brother:_--There are several months that I wrote to inform you of the deeply deplored death of my lamented husband, Senor Don Richard Montfort.

Chapter 1 of Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Rita contain?

Chapter 1 holds 107 sentences of Rita, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 1 of Rita?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Rita

Common questions about reading Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Rita?

Yes. All 2495 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24827 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Rita is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24827, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Rita take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Rita section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of Rita 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 Rita

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

Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rita; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Margarets
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rita; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Margaret
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rita; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Montfort
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Rita; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.