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The rag pickers
The rag pickers

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The rag pickers is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The rag pickers
Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PATIENT CHILD.
MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.
He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.
Hers was a sad case.
One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The rag pickers

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The rag pickers is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PATIENT CHILD.
/ðə ˈpeɪʃənt tʃaɪld/
Line 2
MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.
Line 3
He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.
/hiː hæd tuː ˈʌðər ˈtʃɪldrən wʌn sʌn ʌv ˈsevən jɪrz ənd ə ˈdɔːtər ˈskersli æz ˈmeni mʌnθs/
Line 4
Hers was a sad case.
/hərz wɑːz ə sæd keɪs/
Line 5
One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

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.

amusing adjective US /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/

providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

boiling noun US /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/

the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

cradle noun US /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

kettle noun US /ˈketəl/

a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

shriek noun US /ʃriːk/

sharp piercing cry

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

tailor verb US /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading “MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.”

toes noun US /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

washing noun US /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/

the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)

From this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

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.

boiling water noun + noun

In this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

seven years noun + noun

In this reading “He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.”

many months adjective + noun counted as “many month”

In this reading “He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.”

sad case adjective + noun

In this reading “Hers was a sad case.”

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

In this reading “One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.”

other children adjective + noun counted as “other child”

In this reading “He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

amusingadjectiveUS /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/

providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

babynounUS /ˈbeɪbi/

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

boilingnounUS /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/

the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading Hers was a sad case.

CHILDnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading THE PATIENT CHILD.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

cradlenounUS /ˈkreɪdəl/

a baby bed with sides and rockers

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

daughternounUS /ˈdɔːtər/

a female human offspring

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

distressnounUS /dɪˈstres/

psychological suffering

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

dreadfuladjectiveUS /ˈdredfəl/

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

HerspronounUS /hərz/

the one or ones belonging to her

From this reading Hers was a sad case.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

kettlenounUS /ˈketəl/

a metal pot for stewing or boiling; usually has a lid

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

kitchennounUS /ˈkɪtʃən/

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

LARKIN

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

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

lyingnounUS /ˈlaɪɪŋ/

the deliberate act of deviating from the truth

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

MARYnounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

PATIENTnounUS /ˈpeɪʃənt/

a person who requires medical care

From this reading THE PATIENT CHILD.

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading Hers was a sad case.

scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/

only a very short time before

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

shrieknounUS /ʃriːk/

sharp piercing cry

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

sonnounUS /sʌn/

a male human offspring

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

tailorverbUS /ˈteɪlər/

adjust to a specific need or market

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE PATIENT CHILD.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

ThomasnounUS /ˈtɑːməs/

United States clockmaker who introduced mass production (1785-1859)

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

toesnounUS /toʊz/

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading MARY LARKIN was the daughter of a tailor.

washingnounUS /ˈwɑːʃɪŋ/

the work of cleansing (usually with soap and water)

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

waternounUS /ˈwɔːtər/

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading One day she and her brother Thomas were playing in the kitchen where their mother was washing; the baby was lying in his cradle, amusing himself with his toes, when suddenly there was a dreadful shriek of distress, and Mrs. Larkin turned to see Mary in a large kettle of boiling water.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading He had two other children, one son of seven years, and a daughter scarcely as many months.

Chapter 11 of The rag pickers by Madeline Leslie holds 108 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 11 of The rag pickers contain?

Chapter 11 holds 108 sentences of The rag pickers, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The rag pickers by Madeline Leslie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 108 sentences, grouped into 22 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 11 of The rag pickers?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The rag pickers

Common questions about reading The rag pickers by Madeline Leslie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The rag pickers?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The rag pickers is used?

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

How long does The rag pickers take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The rag pickers section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The rag pickers

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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