Chapter 4 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw. In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust. “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John. Ow!” “What was the matter?”
Chapter 4 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories is here in full — 201 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/40 · 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.
a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis
From this reading ““Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.”
remove the dust from
From this reading “In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.”
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading ““What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.”
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading “In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.”
past form of “sputter” — make an explosive sound
From this reading ““Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.”
American Revolutionary leader who as governor of Connecticut provided supplies for the Continental Army (1710-1785)
From this reading ““What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.”
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading “In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.”
in a violent manner
From this reading ““Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.”
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.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
a sudden noisy expulsion of air from the lungs that clears the air passages; a common symptom of upper respiratory infection or bronchitis or pneumonia or tuberculosis
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
remove the dust from
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
past form of “inquire” — address a question to and expect an answer from
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
past form of “sputter” — make an explosive sound
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
American Revolutionary leader who as governor of Connecticut provided supplies for the Continental Army (1710-1785)
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
precisely as stated
From this reading In fact, she was unable to look very pale on account of dust.
in a violent manner
From this reading “Ow!” sputtered Aunt Janet, coughing violently, “get me up out of this dust, John.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
which person or people
From this reading “What on earth is the matter, Janet?” inquired Dr. Trumbull, who was paler than his sister-inlaw.
Chapter 4 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman holds 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 201 sentences of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 201 sentences, grouped into 41 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 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 41 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 Copy-Cat, and Other Stories by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5664 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1716 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1716, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 472 minutes of reading across 1133 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Copy-Cat, and Other Stories 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 Copy-Cat, and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
