Chapter 17 of Sisters is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of Sisters is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend: "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful! There is not a scrap of hope. Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying! I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
Chapter 17 of Sisters is here in full — 175 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading “Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!”
demanding attention
From this reading “Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!”
a young woman making her debut into society
From this reading “Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!”
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading “The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:”
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading “The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:”
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
From this reading “There is not a scrap of hope.”
an electric motor for starting an engine
From this reading “The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:”
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading “The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:”
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 There is not a scrap of hope.
anew
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
exceptionally bad or displeasing
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
for the reason that
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
plural of “cry” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
demanding attention
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
dearly loved
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
a young woman making her debut into society
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading There is not a scrap of hope.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There is not a scrap of hope.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
and nothing more
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
From this reading There is not a scrap of hope.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
and nothing more
From this reading "Oh, my dear, it is simply awful!
a female person who has the same parents as another person
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
express in speech
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
an electric motor for starting an engine
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
in or at that place or location
From this reading There is not a scrap of hope.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The starting of the fuss was thus described by the starter in her first letter to her friend:
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading Dear old Deb is the worst, because she cries--fancy DEB crying!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I don't care what Francie says and does, only, if she were not my sister, I would never speak to her again.
Chapter 17 of Sisters by Ada Cambridge holds 175 sentences, grouped into 35 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 17 holds 175 sentences of Sisters, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of Sisters by Ada Cambridge exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 175 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 17 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 Sisters by Ada Cambridge on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4218 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4218, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 444 minutes of reading across 1067 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sisters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 28 chapters of Sisters 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 Sisters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
