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The City Curious
The City Curious

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The City Curious is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.
Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.
The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.
It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.
They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The City Curious

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of The City Curious is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.
Line 2
Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.
Line 3
The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.
/ðə fɔːrθ saɪd ɡeɪv əˈpɑːn ðə frənˈtɪr ənd wɑːz mɑːrkt ɔːf baɪ ə lɔːŋ rɪdʒ ʌv rɑːk ˈsevrəl fiːt ɪn haɪt/
Line 4
It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.
Line 5
They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

Learner Dictionary

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.

frontier noun US /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading “The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.”

joins noun US /dʒɔɪnz/

plural of “join” — the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made

From this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

partake verb US /pɑːrˈteɪk/

have some of the qualities or attributes of something

From this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

picnic noun US /ˈpɪknɪk/

a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering

From this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

sentinels noun US /ˈsentənəlz/

plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading “Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.”

siesta noun US /siˈestə/

a nap in the early afternoon (especially in hot countries)

From this reading “They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.”

Soy noun US /sɔɪ/

a source of oil; used for forage and soil improvement and as food

From this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

Wigs noun US /wɪɡz/

plural of “wig” — hairpiece covering the head and made of real or synthetic hair

From this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

wait until verb + particle

In this reading “They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.”

young girls adjective + noun counted as “young girl”

a girl or young woman who is unmarried

In this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

already spoken adverb + adjective

In this reading “They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.”

into the gardens preposition + article + noun counted as “into … garden”

In this reading “It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.”

go home verb + noun

return home

In this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

stayed behind verb + particle counted as “stay behind”

In this reading “Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.”

sat looking noun + noun

In this reading “It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.”

partake of verb + particle

In this reading “Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.”

All words in this reading · 88

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

advisedadjectiveUS /ædˈvaɪzd/

having the benefit of careful prior consideration or counsel

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

blowsnounUS /bloʊz/

plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

crowdverbUS /kraʊd/

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

delightfuladjectiveUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəl/

greatly pleasing or entertaining

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

Djorak

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

effectnounUS /ɪˈfekt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

fourthnounUS /fɔːrθ/

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

guardnounUS /ɡɑːrd/

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

heightnounUS /haɪt/

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

joinsnounUS /dʒɔɪnz/

plural of “join” — the shape or manner in which things come together and a connection is made

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

markedadjectiveUS /mɑːrkt/

strongly marked; easily noticeable

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

observedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɜːrvd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

partakeverbUS /pɑːrˈteɪk/

have some of the qualities or attributes of something

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

picnicnounUS /ˈpɪknɪk/

a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

powdernounUS /ˈpaʊdər/

a solid substance in the form of tiny loose particles; a solid that has been pulverized

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

Redy

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

rescueverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

rocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

sentinelsnounUS /ˈsentənəlz/

plural of “sentinel” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

siestanounUS /siˈestə/

a nap in the early afternoon (especially in hot countries)

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

Smaly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

SoynounUS /sɔɪ/

a source of oil; used for forage and soil improvement and as food

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

stayedverbUS /steɪd/

past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It was from this rock that Smaly and Redy sat looking into the gardens.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading They could have already spoken to the three girls, but Smaly advised that they should wait until the time of the next siesta had arrived.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The fourth side gave upon the frontier and was marked off by a long ridge of rock, several feet in height.

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

WigsnounUS /wɪɡz/

plural of “wig” — hairpiece covering the head and made of real or synthetic hair

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Smaly and Redy had been watching with all their eyes, and they observed that two sentinels, instead of taking their departure with the crowd, stayed behind to guard the three sides of the garden which were in the country of the Wigs.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Smaly and Redy effect the rescue of the three young girls: Djorak joins them and they all partake of a delightful picnic: Smaly blows the Soy powder over the country of the Wigs: Then the six friends go home.

Chapter 15 of The City Curious by Jean de Boschère holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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.

What does chapter 15 of The City Curious contain?

Chapter 15 holds 66 sentences of The City Curious, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The City Curious by Jean de Boschère exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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.

How do I study chapter 15 of The City Curious?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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.

Can chapter 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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.

Questions about reading The City Curious

Common questions about reading The City Curious by Jean de Boschère on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The City Curious?

Yes. All 1243 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32406 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The City Curious is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32406, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The City Curious take to read?

About 103 minutes of reading across 249 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The City Curious section by section

How to work through The City Curious section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of The City Curious to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The City Curious

Words and structures a reader meets early in The City Curious, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Smaly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City Curious; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Forth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City Curious; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Search
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City Curious; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City Curious; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.