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The girls
The girls

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The girls is here in full — 358 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The girls
Context Illustration Reading 1/71 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.
Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.
They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.
Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.
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 girls

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of The girls is here in full — 358 sentences across 72 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/71 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.
Line 2
Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.
Line 3
They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.
/ðeɪ wɜːr ˈpleɪɪŋ ˌsɪnsəˈnæti ɔːl ðæt wiːk ənd ðə ˈfjuːtʃər ˈbʊkɪŋz ˌɪnˈkluːdəd kəˈlʌmbəs ˈkliːvlənd təˈliːdoʊ ˈækrən/
Line 4
Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.
Line 5

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.

Akron noun US /ˈækrən/

a city in northeastern Ohio; the heart of the United States rubber industry

From this reading “They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.”

ballet noun US /bæˈleɪ/

a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers

From this reading “Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.”

bookings noun US /ˈbʊkɪŋz/

plural of “booking” — employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time

From this reading “They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.”

Cincinnati noun US /ˌsɪnsəˈnæti/

a city in southern Ohio on the Ohio river

From this reading “Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.”

Cleveland noun US /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading “They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.”

historic adjective US /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/

belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past

From this reading “Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.”

hysteric noun US /ˌhɪˈsterɪk/

a person suffering from hysteria

From this reading “Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.”

Toledo noun US /təˈliːdoʊ/

an industrial city in northwestern Ohio on Lake Erie

From this reading “They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.”

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.

two weeks noun + noun counted as “two week”

In this reading “Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.”

at the end preposition + article + noun counted as “at … end”

In this reading “Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.”

came home verb + noun counted as “come home”

become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions

In this reading “Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.”

at the Palace preposition + article + noun counted as “at … palace”

In this reading “Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

AkronnounUS /ˈækrən/

a city in northeastern Ohio; the heart of the United States rubber industry

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

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 They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

balletnounUS /bæˈleɪ/

a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

bookingsnounUS /ˈbʊkɪŋz/

plural of “booking” — employment for performers or performing groups that lasts for a limited period of time

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

Charley

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

CincinnatinounUS /ˌsɪnsəˈnæti/

a city in southern Ohio on the Ohio river

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

ClevelandnounUS /ˈkliːvlənd/

the largest city in Ohio; located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie; a major Great Lakes port

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/

the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

dancingnounUS /ˈdænsɪŋ/

taking a series of rhythmical steps (and movements) in time to music

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

historicadjectiveUS /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/

belonging to the past; of what is important or famous in the past

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

hystericnounUS /ˌhɪˈsterɪk/

a person suffering from hysteria

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

includedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdəd/

enclosed in the same envelope or package

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

Krisiloff

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

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

Lottie

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

MajesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/

majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

MarchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

OhionounUS /oʊˈhaɪoʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

PalacenounUS /ˈpæləs/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

RussiannounUS /ˈrʌʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Russia

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

showingnounUS /ˈʃoʊɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

ToledonounUS /təˈliːdoʊ/

an industrial city in northwestern Ohio on Lake Erie

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading They were playing Cincinnati all that week, and the future bookings included Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Charley was away when Lottie came home in February, following that historic hysteric November.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Charley was in Cincinnati, Ohio, dancing with the Krisiloff Russian ballet.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

wroteverbUS /roʊt/

inflected form of “write” — produce a literary work

From this reading Charley wrote that they would be back in Chicago for two weeks at the end of March, showing one week at the Palace and one at the Majestic.

Chapter 18 of The girls by Edna Ferber holds 358 sentences, grouped into 72 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 18 of The girls contain?

Chapter 18 holds 358 sentences of The girls, unabridged, divided into 72 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The girls by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 358 sentences, grouped into 72 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 18 of The girls?

Work through the 72 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 72 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 18 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The girls

Common questions about reading The girls by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The girls?

Yes. All 7190 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The girls is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The girls take to read?

About 599 minutes of reading across 1438 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The girls section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of The girls 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 girls

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

Printed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Garden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Question
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Method
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.