Chapter 12 of Surprise house is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Surprise house is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else! What was it, then, which made her so excited? Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently. “Miaou!” he cried. But no one noticed him.
Chapter 12 of Surprise house is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
-ing form of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading “GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!”
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading “Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.”
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading “What was it, then, which made her so excited?”
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading “GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!”
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading “Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.”
plural of “gem” — art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
From this reading “GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!”
being perceived or observed
From this reading “But no one noticed him.”
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading “GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!”
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 “GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!”
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 GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
in a benevolent manner
From this reading Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “Miaou!” he cried.
-ing form of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination
From this reading Caliban eyed her from the desk benevolently.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
plural of “gem” — art highly prized for its beauty or perfection
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Miaou!” he cried.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But no one noticed him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
the sound made by a cat (or any sound resembling this)
From this reading “Miaou!” he cried.
a particular point in time
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
not any; not one
From this reading But no one noticed him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
being perceived or observed
From this reading But no one noticed him.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But no one noticed him.
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
a thing, without saying which
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
at the time that
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading What was it, then, which made her so excited?
in the company of; together with
From this reading GEMS FROM SHAKESPEARE It was an exciting moment when Mary stood with the “Gems from Shakespeare” in her hand, declaring that this was not a book at all, but something else!
Chapter 12 of Surprise house by Abbie Farwell Brown holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 131 sentences of Surprise house, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Surprise house by Abbie Farwell Brown exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 Surprise house by Abbie Farwell Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Surprise house section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Surprise house 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 Surprise house, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
