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The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches
The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.
Then he chose Mildred Thornton.
And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.
Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.
Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.
/ˈveri ˈkerfəli ðə jʌŋ mæn ɪn ðə dɑːrk ˈɡlæsəz mʌst hæv kənˈsɪdərd wɪtʃ wʌn ʌv ðə fɔːr əˈmerəkən ɡɜːrlz ˈtrævəlɪŋ təˈɡeðər hiː maɪt ɪkˈspekt tuː faɪnd moʊst wɜːrθ waɪl/
Line 2
Then he chose Mildred Thornton.
Line 3
And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.
Line 4
Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.
Line 5
Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

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.

casual adjective US /ˈkæʒəwəl/

marked by blithe unconcern

From this reading “And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.”

Davis noun US /ˈdeɪvəs/

English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)

From this reading “Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.”

Eugenia noun US /ˌjuːˈdʒiːniə/

tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood

From this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

improve verb US /ˌɪmˈpruːv/

to make better

From this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

influences noun US /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/

plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

observer noun US /əbˈzɜːrvər/

a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses

From this reading “And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.”

softening noun US /ˈsɔːfənɪŋ/

the process of becoming softer

From this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

Thornton noun US /ˈθɔːrntən/

American architect (1759-1828)

From this reading “Then he chose Mildred Thornton.”

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.

casual observer adjective + noun

In this reading “And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.”

softening influences noun + noun counted as “softening influence”

In this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.”

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.”

before dinner preposition + noun

In this reading “Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.”

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

In this reading “Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/

taking care or paying attention

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

casualadjectiveUS /ˈkæʒəwəl/

marked by blithe unconcern

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

choseverbUS /tʃoʊz/

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading Then he chose Mildred Thornton.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

consideredadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪdərd/

carefully weighed

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

DavisnounUS /ˈdeɪvəs/

English navigator who explored the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage (1550-1605)

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

dinnernounUS /ˈdɪnər/

the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

dispositionnounUS /ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən/

your usual mood

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

EugenianounUS /ˌjuːˈdʒiːniə/

tropical trees and shrubs with aromatic leaves and often valuable hard wood

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

gayadjectiveUS /ɡeɪ/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

glassesnounUS /ˈɡlæsəz/

(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

handsomenessnoun

the quality of having regular well-defined features (especially of a man)

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

improveverbUS /ˌɪmˈpruːv/

to make better

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

influencesnounUS /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/

plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

Mildred

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

From this reading Then he chose Mildred Thornton.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

NeverthelessadverbUS /ˌnevərðəˈles/

in spite of what has just been said

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

Nona

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

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

observernounUS /əbˈzɜːrvər/

a person who becomes aware (of things or events) through the senses

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

oddadjectiveUS /ɑːd/

not divisible by two

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

severeadjectiveUS /səˈvɪr/

intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

softeningnounUS /ˈsɔːfənɪŋ/

the process of becoming softer

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

stateroomnoun

a guest cabin

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he chose Mildred Thornton.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

ThorntonnounUS /ˈθɔːrntən/

American architect (1759-1828)

From this reading Then he chose Mildred Thornton.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/

the act of going from one place to another

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Even Eugenia, in spite of her severe manner, had a certain handsomeness and under softening influences might improve both in appearance and disposition.

VeryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And this was odd, for to a casual observer Mildred was the least good looking and the least gay of the four.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Nevertheless, it was with Mildred that Nona Davis, coming out of her stateroom half an hour before dinner, discovered the young man talking.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Very carefully the young man in the dark glasses must have considered which one of the four American girls traveling together he might expect to find most worth while.

Chapter 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches by Margaret Vandercook holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches contain?

Chapter 5 holds 145 sentences of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches, unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches by Margaret Vandercook exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches

Common questions about reading The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches by Margaret Vandercook on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches?

Yes. All 2788 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #60154 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #60154, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches take to read?

About 232 minutes of reading across 558 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches 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 Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mildred
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thornton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Climbed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Red Cross Girls in the British Trenches; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.