Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Emigrant Trail
The Emigrant Trail

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Emigrant Trail is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Emigrant Trail
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.
It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.
She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.
At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.
Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Emigrant Trail

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of The Emigrant Trail is here in full — 180 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.
Line 2
It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.
Line 3
She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.
/ʃiː keɪm tuː ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs ˈkwɪkli ˈweɪ.kɪŋ tuː æn ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd dɪˈpreʃən/
Line 4
At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.
Line 5
Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.
/hɜːr ˈbɑːdi leɪ lɪmp ˈʌndər ðə ˈblæŋkəts æz hɜːr maɪnd leɪ lɪmp ˈʌndər ðə ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər klaʊd/

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.

blankets noun US /ˈblæŋkəts/

plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading “It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.”

depression noun US /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

From this reading “She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.”

flaps noun US /flæps/

a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag

From this reading “It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.”

limp verb US /lɪmp/

walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

From this reading “Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.”

splinter verb US /ˈsplɪntər/

withdraw from an organization or communion

From this reading “It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.”

unaccustomed adjective US /ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd/

unusual or unfamiliar

From this reading “She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.”

unfamiliar adjective US /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər/

not known or well known

From this reading “Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.”

waking adjective US /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading “She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

all-permeating

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

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

blanketsnounUS /ˈblæŋkəts/

plural of “blanket” — bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

centraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

cloudverbUS /klaʊd/

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

consciousnessnounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəsnəs/

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

cowered

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

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

flapsnounUS /flæps/

a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

limpverbUS /lɪmp/

walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

physicaladjectiveUS /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

quicklyadverbUS /ˈkwɪkli/

with speed

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

reasonlessadjective

not marked by the use of reason

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

splinterverbUS /ˈsplɪntər/

withdraw from an organization or communion

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

Susan

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

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

tentnounUS /tent/

a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

unaccustomedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnəˈkʌstəmd/

unusual or unfamiliar

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

unfamiliaradjectiveUS /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər/

not known or well known

From this reading Her body lay limp under the blankets as her mind lay limp under the unfamiliar cloud.

unlocatedadjective

lacking a particular location

From this reading At first it had no central point of cause, but was reasonless and all-permeating like the depression that comes from an unlocated physical ill.

wakingadjectiveUS /ˈweɪ.kɪŋ/

Risen from sleep; conscious.

From this reading She came to consciousness quickly, waking to an unaccustomed depression.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

watchingnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ/

the act of observing; taking a patient look

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading The dawn was gray when Susan woke the next morning.

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading It was cold and she cowered under her blankets, watching the walls of the tent grow light, and the splinter between the flaps turn from white to yellow.

Chapter 11 of The Emigrant Trail by Geraldine Bonner holds 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 11 of The Emigrant Trail contain?

Chapter 11 holds 180 sentences of The Emigrant Trail, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Emigrant Trail by Geraldine Bonner exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 180 sentences, grouped into 36 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 11 of The Emigrant Trail?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 Emigrant Trail

Common questions about reading The Emigrant Trail by Geraldine Bonner on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Emigrant Trail?

Yes. All 7259 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19113 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Emigrant Trail is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #19113, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Emigrant Trail take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1452 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Emigrant Trail section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of The Emigrant Trail 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 Emigrant Trail

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

Afternoon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Emigrant Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fourth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Emigrant Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clouds
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Emigrant Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lifted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Emigrant Trail; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.