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The Motor Girls
The Motor Girls

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Motor Girls is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Motor Girls
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.
"This is as far as I care to go," he said.
"I think I'll leave you now.
I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.
Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.
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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 Motor Girls

Chapter XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of The Motor Girls is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.
Line 2
"This is as far as I care to go," he said.
/ðɪs ɪz æz fɑːr æz aɪ ker tuː ɡoʊ hiː sed/
Line 3
"I think I'll leave you now.
Line 4
I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.
Line 5
Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.
/ˈkɔːrə dɪd nɑːt ˈænsər hɪm bʌt hɜːr lʊk wɑːz səˈfɪʃənt tuː ʃoʊ wʌt ʃiː θɔːt/

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.

actions noun US /ˈækʃənz/

plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading “JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.”

cora noun US /ˈkɔːrə/

(Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina

From this reading “JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.”

directed adjective US /dərˈektəd/

(often used in combination) having a specified direction

From this reading “I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.”

entire adjective US /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading “JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.”

irony noun US /ˈaɪrəni/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading “I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.”

machine noun US /məˈʃiːn/

any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks

From this reading “I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.”

park noun US /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading “I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.”

paul noun US /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading “JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.”

All words in this reading · 70

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 I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

actionsnounUS /ˈækʃənz/

plural of “action” — something done (usually as opposed to something said)

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

bownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

can't

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

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

CORAnounUS /ˈkɔːrə/

(Greek mythology) daughter of Zeus and Demeter; made queen of the underworld by Pluto in ancient mythology; identified with Roman Proserpina

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

directedadjectiveUS /dərˈektəd/

(often used in combination) having a specified direction

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

entireadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtaɪər/

constituting the full quantity or extent; complete

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

I'll

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

From this reading "I think I'll leave you now.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

ironynounUS /ˈaɪrəni/

witty language used to convey insults or scorn

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

JUSTadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading "I think I'll leave you now.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

machinenounUS /məˈʃiːn/

any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

mockinglyadverb

in a disrespectful jeering manner

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "I think I'll leave you now.

objectnounUS /ˈɑːbdʒekt/

a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

parknounUS /pɑːrk/

a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

PAULnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

peculiaradjectiveUS /pəˈkjuːljər/

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

Sid

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

stoppedadjectiveUS /stɑːpt/

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

thankverbUS /θæŋk/

express gratitude or show appreciation to

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading "I think I'll leave you now.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading JUST CORA AND PAUL As if this had been the entire object of his peculiar actions, Sid suddenly stopped the car.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "This is as far as I care to go," he said.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Cora did not answer him, but her look was sufficient to show what she thought.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I can't thank you enough for the ride," he added mockingly, and, with a bow that had much of irony in it, he walked down a side path of the park, into which he had directed the machine.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I think I'll leave you now.

Chapter 12 of The Motor Girls by Margaret Penrose holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 12 of The Motor Girls contain?

Chapter 12 holds 185 sentences of The Motor Girls, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Motor Girls by Margaret Penrose exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 12 of The Motor Girls?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Motor Girls

Common questions about reading The Motor Girls by Margaret Penrose on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Motor Girls?

Yes. All 3838 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4914 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Motor Girls is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4914, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Motor Girls take to read?

About 319 minutes of reading across 768 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Motor Girls section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Motor 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 Motor Girls

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

Kimball
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Robinson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Evening
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Motor Girls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.