Chapter 8 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris. She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers. Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair. Her eyes looked thoughtful. "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
Chapter 8 of The Rocks of Valpré is here in full — 215 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
possessive form of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading “She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.”
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading “DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.”
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading “She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.”
past form of “fondle” — touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading “Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.”
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading “She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.”
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading “She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.”
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading “Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.”
having intellectual depth
From this reading “Her eyes looked thoughtful.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
possessive form of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
dearly loved
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Her eyes looked thoughtful.
a competitor thought likely to win
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
past form of “fondle” — touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
thick cushion used as a seat
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Her eyes looked thoughtful.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading DOUBTS "He's nice, isn't he?" said Chris.
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hilda's fingers fondled the sunny hair.
having intellectual depth
From this reading Her eyes looked thoughtful.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was seated on a hassock close to her cousin's knee, a favourite position of hers.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I am so glad for you, dear," she said.
Chapter 8 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Chapter 8 holds 215 sentences of The Rocks of Valpré, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 215 sentences, grouped into 43 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.
Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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.
Common questions about reading The Rocks of Valpré by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 13142 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13547 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13547, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2629 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Rocks of Valpré section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Rocks of Valpré to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Rocks of Valpré, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
