Chapter 4 of The Cat is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Cat is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May. 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting! I was wondering when you were going to begin that! It _will_ be dreadfully exciting, won't it?' 'It will be dreadfully messy,' answered Auntie May.
Chapter 4 of The Cat is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/23 · 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.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.”
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “I was wondering when you were going to begin that!”
of a dreadful kind
From this reading “'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!”
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading “'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!”
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading “TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.”
dirty and disorderly
From this reading “'It will be dreadfully messy,' answered Auntie May.”
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading “TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.”
showing curiosity
From this reading “I was wondering when you were going to begin that!”
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.
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.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading 'It will be dreadfully messy,' answered Auntie May.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It _will_ be dreadfully exciting, won't it?'
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
of a dreadful kind
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
the act of departing
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
dirty and disorderly
From this reading 'It will be dreadfully messy,' answered Auntie May.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Oh, Auntie May,' cried Rosamond, 'how dreadfully exciting!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading TO LAP OR NOT TO LAP 'It is time they were taught to lap!' said Auntie May.
at the time that
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading It _will_ be dreadfully exciting, won't it?'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It _will_ be dreadfully exciting, won't it?'
showing curiosity
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I was wondering when you were going to begin that!
Chapter 4 of The Cat by Violet Hunt holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 4 holds 117 sentences of The Cat, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Cat by Violet Hunt exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 sentences, grouped into 24 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 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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 4 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 Cat by Violet Hunt 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 The Cat section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Cat 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 Cat, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
