Chapter 2 of Tales for Christmas Eve is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter II
Chapter 2 of Tales for Christmas Eve is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she. “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.” “Never mind; get one!” I obey. “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
Chapter 2 of Tales for Christmas Eve is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/12 · 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.
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
the finger next to the thumb
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading ““Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.”
be obedient to
From this reading “I obey.”
the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
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 ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
In this reading ““Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.”
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 “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
daughter of George VI who became the Queen of England and Northern Ireland in 1952 on the death of her father (1926-)
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
to the same degree (often followed by “as”)
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
the finger next to the thumb
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
make a map of; show or establish the features of details of
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading “Never mind; get one!”
used to form the superlative
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Never mind; get one!”
be obedient to
From this reading I obey.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “Never mind; get one!”
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “As for that,” reply I, “on a map most places look equally pleasant.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Let us get a map and see what places look pleasantest?” says she.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
a Caucasian
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Do you like the seaside?” asks Elizabeth, lifting her little brown head and her small happy white face from the English sea-coast along which, her forefinger is slowly travelling.
Chapter 2 of Tales for Christmas Eve by Rhoda Broughton holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 2 holds 60 sentences of Tales for Christmas Eve, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of Tales for Christmas Eve by Rhoda Broughton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 12 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 2 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 Tales for Christmas Eve by Rhoda Broughton 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 Tales for Christmas Eve section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Tales for Christmas Eve 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 Tales for Christmas Eve, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
