Chapter 18 of The Choice of Life is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVIII
Chapter 18 of The Choice of Life is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her. "Are you ill?" "No," she says, smiling. And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply. "But why are you not dressed?"
Chapter 18 of The Choice of Life is here in full — 24 sentences across 5 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/4 · 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.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading “Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.”
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
restoring confidence and relieving anxiety
From this reading “And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.”
plural of “slipper” — low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading “Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.”
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 Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Are you ill?"
completely unclothed
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "But why are you not dressed?"
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
plural of “cheek” — either side of the face below the eyes
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading "But why are you not dressed?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading "Are you ill?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
plural of “kiss” — the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
not any; not one
From this reading "No," she says, smiling.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "But why are you not dressed?"
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
restoring confidence and relieving anxiety
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading "No," she says, smiling.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "No," she says, smiling.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
plural of “slipper” — low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "No," she says, smiling.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading And her cool hands, pressing mine, and her gay kisses on my cheeks are no less reassuring than the actual reply.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "But why are you not dressed?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading Rose is sitting by the fire with her bare feet in slippers and a dressing-wrap flung loosely round her.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Are you ill?"
Chapter 18 of The Choice of Life by Georgette Leblanc holds 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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 18 holds 24 sentences of The Choice of Life, unabridged, divided into 5 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 18 of The Choice of Life by Georgette Leblanc exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 24 sentences, grouped into 5 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 5 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 5 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 18 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 Choice of Life by Georgette Leblanc on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2783 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22411 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #22411, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 231 minutes of reading across 557 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Choice of Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 29 chapters of The Choice of Life 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 Choice of Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
