The Gold Thread

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Gold Thread is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Norman Macleod • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

It was about a mile or more in circumference, and was dotted all over with the cottages of the other foresters and king’s huntsmen, each surrounded with clumps of trees, through which the curling smoke from the chimneys might be seen ascending.

There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

Narrator

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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Gold Thread Norman Macleod

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Gold Thread is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake. The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window. A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen. It was about a mile or more in circumference, and was dotted all over with the cottages of the other foresters and king’s huntsmen, each surrounded with clumps of trees, through which the curling smoke from the chimneys might be seen ascending. There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

The Gold Thread

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Gold Thread is here in full — 114 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

/wʌn ʌv ðə wɔːlz ʌv ðə ˈkɑːtədʒ wɑːz rɪrd ɑːn ðə edʒ ʌv ðə rɑːk soʊ ðæt ɪt siːmd ə kənˌtɪnjuːˈeɪʃən ʌv ɪt ənd tuː raɪz ʌp frʌm ðə diːp ˈwɔːtərz ʌv ðə leɪk/

Line 2

The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

/ðə bɔɪz wɜːr ðʌs ˈeɪbəl ˈɔːfən tuː fɪʃ wɪð ə lɔːŋ laɪn aʊt ʌv ðə ˈwɪndoʊ/

Line 3

A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

Line 4

Line 5

There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

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.

chimneys noun US /ˈtʃɪmniz/

plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading “It was about a mile or more in circumference, and was dotted all over with the cottages of the other foresters and king’s huntsmen, each surrounded with clumps of trees, through which the curling smoke from the chimneys might be seen ascending.”

circumference noun US /ˌsɜːrˈkʌmfrəns/

the size of something as given by the distance around it

clumps noun US /klʌmps/

plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things

continuation noun US /kənˌtɪnjuːˈeɪʃən/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading “One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.”

crops noun US /krɑːps/

plural of “crop” — the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading “There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.”

curling noun US /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

dotted adjective US /ˈdɑːtəd/

having a pattern of dots

foresters noun US /ˈfɔːrəstərz/

plural of “forester” — English writer of adventure novels featuring Captain Horatio Hornblower (1899-1966)

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.

winding stair adjective + noun

In this reading “A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.”

curling smoke noun + noun

In this reading “It was about a mile or more in circumference, and was dotted all over with the cottages of the other foresters and king’s huntsmen, each surrounded with clumps of trees, through which the curling smoke from the chimneys might be seen ascending.”

deep waters adjective + noun

In this reading “One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.”

on the edge preposition + article + noun counted as “on … edge”

In this reading “One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.”

Green Island noun + noun

In this reading “A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.”

long line adjective + noun

In this reading “The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.”

rise up verb + adjective

come to the surface

In this reading “One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.”

in circumference preposition + noun

All words in this reading · 84

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 One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was about a mile or more in circumference, and was dotted all over with the cottages of the other foresters and king’s huntsmen, each surrounded with clumps of trees, through which the curling smoke from the chimneys might be seen ascending.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/

moving or going or growing upward

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

beautifullyadverbUS /ˈbjuːtəfli/

in a beautiful manner

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

beehives

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

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

chimneysnounUS /ˈtʃɪmniz/

plural of “chimney” — a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

circumferencenounUS /ˌsɜːrˈkʌmfrəns/

the size of something as given by the distance around it

clumpsnounUS /klʌmps/

plural of “clump” — a grouping of a number of similar things

continuationnounUS /kənˌtɪnjuːˈeɪʃən/

the act of continuing an activity without interruption

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

cottagesnounUS /ˈkɑːtɪdʒɪz/

plural of “cottage” — a small house with a single story

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

cropsnounUS /krɑːps/

plural of “crop” — the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

curlingnounUS /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/

a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

dottedadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːtəd/

having a pattern of dots

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

edgenounUS /edʒ/

the boundary of a surface

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

everywhereadverbUS /ˈevriwer/

to or in any or all places

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

fieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

fishnounUS /fɪʃ/

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

flowersnounUS /ˈflaʊərz/

plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

forestersnounUS /ˈfɔːrəstərz/

plural of “forester” — English writer of adventure novels featuring Captain Horatio Hornblower (1899-1966)

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

fruitsnounUS /fruːts/

plural of “fruit” — the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

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

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

GreennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

huntsmen

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

king'snounUS /kɪŋz/

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

lakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

linenounUS /laɪn/

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

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 boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

look-out

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

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

milenounUS /maɪl/

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

rearedverbUS /rɪrd/

past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

riseverbUS /raɪz/

move upward

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

rocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

stairnounUS /ster/

support consisting of a place to rest the foot while ascending or descending a stairway

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

surroundedadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪd/

confined on all sides

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

thusadverbUS /ðʌs/

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading There were everywhere beautifully kept gardens, with fruits, and flowers, and beehives; and fields, too, with their crops.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

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 One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading One of the walls of the cottage was reared on the edge of the rock, so that it seemed a continuation of it, and to rise up from the deep waters of the lake.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

marked by repeated turns and bends

From this reading A winding stair led to a look-out on the roof, from which the whole island, called “The Green Island of the Lake,” could be seen.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The boys were thus able often to fish with a long line out of the window.

Chapter 7 of The Gold Thread by Norman Macleod holds 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 7 of The Gold Thread contain?

Chapter 7 holds 114 sentences of The Gold Thread, unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Gold Thread by Norman Macleod exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 114 sentences, grouped into 23 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 7 of The Gold Thread?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #63572, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 95 minutes of reading across 229 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Gold Thread

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

Norman: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Macleod: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Gold Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter VII

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