Chapter 3 of The Black Tortoise is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Black Tortoise is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual. When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little. She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me. "Are you here? I did not know the police were here."
Chapter 3 of The Black Tortoise is here in full — 442 sentences across 89 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/88 · 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.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading “She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.”
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading “She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.”
construct, build, or erect
From this reading “She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.”
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading “I did not know the police were here."”
compacted by ironing
From this reading “She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.”
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading “When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.”
with taste; in a tasteful manner
From this reading “She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.”
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading “She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.”
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 “She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.”
In this reading “When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.”
In this reading “She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.”
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 When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you here?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
construct, build, or erect
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Are you here?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
and nothing more
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
the force of policemen and officers
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
compacted by ironing
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
generally approved or compelling recognition
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
not in physical motion
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
with taste; in a tasteful manner
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
in or at that place or location
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading She only pressed her thin lips together and looked calmly at me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading She stood there, tall and erect, pretty and tastefully dressed as usual.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I did not know the police were here."
at the time that
From this reading When she recognized me, her pale face became still paler, and it seemed to me she tottered a little.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you here?
Chapter 3 of The Black Tortoise by Christian Sparre holds 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 3 holds 442 sentences of The Black Tortoise, unabridged, divided into 89 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Black Tortoise by Christian Sparre exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 442 sentences, grouped into 89 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 89 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 89 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 3 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 The Black Tortoise by Christian Sparre on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3063 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46006 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46006, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 255 minutes of reading across 613 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Black Tortoise section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Black Tortoise 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 The Black Tortoise, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
