Chapter 20 of Sylvie and Bruno is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XX
Chapter 20 of Sylvie and Bruno is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions. I presented them in due form. “This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel. And this is Bruno.” “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
Chapter 20 of Sylvie and Bruno is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)
From this reading “And this is Bruno.””
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading “Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.”
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading “Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.”
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading ““Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.”
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading “I presented them in due form.”
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading “Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.”
the name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name)
From this reading ““Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.”
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading ““Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.”
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 to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And this is Bruno.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
German pope from 1049 to 1054 whose papacy was the beginning of papal reforms in the 11th century (1002-1054)
From this reading And this is Bruno.”
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading I presented them in due form.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
opinion or judgment
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading I presented them in due form.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I presented them in due form.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I presented them in due form.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading I presented them in due form.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
the name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name)
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I presented them in due form.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “This is Sylvie, Lady Muriel.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading “Any surname?” she enquired, her eyes twinkling with fun.
accept gladly
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Lady Muriel's smile of welcome could not quite conceal the look of surprise with which she regarded my new companions.
Chapter 20 of Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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 20 holds 187 sentences of Sylvie and Bruno, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 20 of Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 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 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 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 20 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 Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4359 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #620 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #620, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 363 minutes of reading across 872 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Sylvie and Bruno section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Sylvie and Bruno 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 Sylvie and Bruno, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
