Chapter 12 of Rita is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Rita is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FOR LIFE. "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off." For a moment it seemed as if they might do it. Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight. A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
Chapter 12 of Rita is here in full — 128 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 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.
shining intensely
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
highly enthusiastic
From this reading “Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.”
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading “Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.”
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
plural of “stride” — a step in walking or running
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading “A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.”
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 For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
shining intensely
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
the act of burning something
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
start firing a weapon
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
the light of a fire (especially in a fireplace)
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FOR LIFE.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
highly enthusiastic
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
a small worthless amount
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
and nothing more
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading FOR LIFE.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
cut with a saw
From this reading Already they saw the road before them, the sand glowing red in the firelight.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
the Romance language spoken in most of Spain and the countries colonized by Spain
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
plural of “stride” — a step in walking or running
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a moment it seemed as if they might do it.
a light usually carried in the hand; consists of some flammable substance
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "If we can put the fire between us and them," said Captain Jack, "we shall get off."
the act of rotating in a circle or spiral
From this reading A few more strides--Just then, a Spanish soldier came running round the corner of the burning cane-patch, whirling his blazing torch.
Chapter 12 of Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards holds 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 12 holds 128 sentences of Rita, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 128 sentences, grouped into 26 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 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 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 12 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 Rita by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2495 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24827 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #24827, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Rita section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Rita 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 Rita, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
