The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Cobbold • Curated US English Learning Edition

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A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

His practice was good, extending from the best families in the town and neighbourhood of Ipswich, to that which is always the most benevolent part of a surgeon's duty, the dispensing medicine and advice to the poor.

George Stebbing was an early riser, and a very active practitioner; he was skilful and attentive; and it was truly said of him, that he never neglected a poor patient to attend a rich one.

He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XV Reading 1/26

The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl Richard Cobbold

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place. His practice was good, extending from the best families in the town and neighbourhood of Ipswich, to that which is always the most benevolent part of a surgeon's duty, the dispensing medicine and advice to the poor. George Stebbing was an early riser, and a very active practitioner; he was skilful and attentive; and it was truly said of him, that he never neglected a poor patient to attend a rich one. He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon. He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl is here in full — 132 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

Line 2

Line 3

George Stebbing was an early riser, and a very active practitioner; he was skilful and attentive; and it was truly said of him, that he never neglected a poor patient to attend a rich one.

Line 4

He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

/hiː hæd hɪz raʊndz bɪˈfɔːr ˈbrekfəst əˈmʌŋ hɪz ˈpuːrər ˈpeɪʃənts nekst hɪz taʊn ˈpræktəs ənd hɪz ˈkʌntri ˈvɪzɪts ɪn ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn/

Line 5

He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

/hiː ˈdʒenərəli kənˈtraɪvd tuː biː faʊnd æt hoʊm frʌm naɪn tuː ten əˈklɑːk ɪn ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ ənd frʌm tuː tuː θriː ɪn ðə ˌæftərˈnuːn ˈɔːlweɪz ˈdaɪnɪŋ æt wʌn/

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.

benevolent adjective US /bəˈnevələnt/

intending or showing kindness

From this reading “His practice was good, extending from the best families in the town and neighbourhood of Ipswich, to that which is always the most benevolent part of a surgeon's duty, the dispensing medicine and advice to the poor.”

dispensing verb US /dɪˈspensɪŋ/

-ing form of “dispense” — administer or bestow, as in small portions

Orwell noun US /ˈɔːrwel/

imaginative British writer concerned with social justice (1903-1950)

From this reading “A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.”

poorer adjective US /ˈpuːrər/

comparative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.”

practitioner noun US /prækˈtɪʃənər/

someone who practices a learned profession

From this reading “George Stebbing was an early riser, and a very active practitioner; he was skilful and attentive; and it was truly said of him, that he never neglected a poor patient to attend a rich one.”

riser noun US /ˈraɪzər/

a person who rises (especially from bed)

rounds noun US /raʊndz/

plural of “round” — a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading “He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.”

surgeon's noun US /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

possessive form of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

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.

most benevolent adverb + adjective

In this reading “His practice was good, extending from the best families in the town and neighbourhood of Ipswich, to that which is always the most benevolent part of a surgeon's duty, the dispensing medicine and advice to the poor.”

at home preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.”

extending from verb + particle counted as “extend from”

lived in verb + particle counted as “live in”

live in the house where one works

In this reading “A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.”

in the afternoon preposition + article + noun counted as “in … afternoon”

In this reading “He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.”

in the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

activeadjectiveUS /ˈæktɪv/

tending to become more severe or wider in scope

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

advicenounUS /ædˈvaɪs/

a proposal for an appropriate course of action

From this reading His practice was good, extending from the best families in the town and neighbourhood of Ipswich, to that which is always the most benevolent part of a surgeon's duty, the dispensing medicine and advice to the poor.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading George Stebbing was an early riser, and a very active practitioner; he was skilful and attentive; and it was truly said of him, that he never neglected a poor patient to attend a rich one.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

attendverbUS /əˈtend/

be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.

attentiveadjectiveUS /əˈtentɪv/

(often followed by “to”) giving care or attention

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

benevolentadjectiveUS /bəˈnevələnt/

intending or showing kindness

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

CHANGEverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

CHEERFULadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɪrfəl/

being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

contrivedadjectiveUS /kənˈtraɪvd/

showing effects of planning or manipulation

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

diningnounUS /ˈdaɪnɪŋ/

the act of eating dinner

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

dispensingverbUS /dɪˈspensɪŋ/

-ing form of “dispense” — administer or bestow, as in small portions

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

extendingverbUS /ɪkˈstendɪŋ/

-ing form of “extend” — extend in scope or range or area

familiesnounUS /ˈfæməliz/

plural of “family” — a social unit living together

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

generallyadverbUS /ˈdʒenərəli/

usually; as a rule

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

Ipswich

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

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

livedverbUS /lɪvd/

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

medicinenounUS /ˈmedəsən/

the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

neglectedadjectiveUS /nəˈɡlektəd/

disregarded

neighbourhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/

a surrounding or nearby region

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

OrwellnounUS /ˈɔːrwel/

imaginative British writer concerned with social justice (1903-1950)

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

patientnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

patientsnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənts/

plural of “patient” — a person who requires medical care

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

PlacenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

pooreradjectiveUS /ˈpuːrər/

comparative of “poor” — deserving or inciting pity

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

practicenounUS /ˈpræktəs/

a customary way of operation or behavior

practitionernounUS /prækˈtɪʃənər/

someone who practices a learned profession

red-bricked

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

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

risernounUS /ˈraɪzər/

a person who rises (especially from bed)

roundsnounUS /raʊndz/

plural of “round” — a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

skilfuladjective

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

Stebbing

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

surgeonnounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒən/

a physician who specializes in surgery

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

surgeon'snounUS /ˈsɜːrdʒənz/

possessive form of “surgeon” — a physician who specializes in surgery

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He generally contrived to be found at home from nine to ten o'clock in the morning; and from two to three in the afternoon, always dining at one.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

visitsnounUS /ˈvɪzɪts/

plural of “visit” — the act of going to see some person or place or thing for a short time

From this reading He had his rounds before breakfast, among his poorer patients; next his town practice; and his country visits in the afternoon.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading A CHEERFUL CHANGE He was a merry, cheerful man, the active surgeon, who lived in the tall, red-bricked house, in Orwell Place.

Chapter 15 of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl by Richard Cobbold holds 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

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Chapter 15 holds 132 sentences of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The History of Margaret Catchpole, a Suffolk Girl by Richard Cobbold exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 132 sentences, grouped into 27 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.

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Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

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Chapter XV

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