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The Secret of Casa Grande
The Secret of Casa Grande

Chapter XV · The Black Box

Chapter XV of The Secret of Casa Grande, “The Black Box,” is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.
As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.
“This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.
“It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”
“It certainly does,” agreed Florence.
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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 Secret of Casa Grande

Chapter XV · The Black Box

Chapter XV of The Secret of Casa Grande, “The Black Box,” is here in full — 139 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.
/pæst ðə ˈɡoʊstli ˈfɪɡjərz ðə θriː ɡɜːrlz meɪd ðer weɪ ˈnɜːrvəs ˈʃɪvərz ˈrʌnɪŋ ʌp ənd daʊn ðer spaɪnz ɪn spaɪt ʌv ðə fækt ðæt ðeɪ nuː ðiːz ˈfɪɡjərz wʊd nɑːt hɑːrm ðem/
Line 2
As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.
Line 3
“This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.
Line 4
“It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”
Line 5
“It certainly does,” agreed Florence.
/ɪt ˈsɜːrtənli dʌz əˈɡriːd ˈflɔːrəns/

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.

Florence noun US /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading ““It certainly does,” agreed Florence.”

ghostly adjective US /ˈɡoʊstli/

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

From this reading “Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.”

halted verb US /ˈhɔːltəd/

past form of “halt” — cause to stop

From this reading “As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.”

panels noun US /ˈpænəlz/

plural of “panel” — sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something

From this reading ““It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.””

rays noun US /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading “As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.”

shivers noun US /ˈʃɪvərz/

plural of “shiver” — a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement

From this reading “Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.”

spines noun US /spaɪnz/

plural of “spine” — the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord

From this reading “Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.”

wall's noun US /wɔːlz/

possessive form of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

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.

ghostly figures adjective + noun counted as “ghostly figure”

In this reading “Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.”

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.”

rear wall noun + noun

In this reading “As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.”

All words in this reading · 57

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.

agreedadjectiveUS /əˈɡriːd/

united by being of the same opinion

From this reading “It certainly does,” agreed Florence.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

Ann

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

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading “It certainly does,” agreed Florence.

differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/

unlike in nature or quality or form or degree

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading “It certainly does,” agreed Florence.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

FlorencenounUS /ˈflɔːrəns/

a city in central Italy on the Arno; provincial capital of Tuscany; center of the Italian Renaissance from 14th to 16th centuries

From this reading “It certainly does,” agreed Florence.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

ghostlyadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊstli/

resembling or characteristic of a phantom

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/

past form of “halt” — cause to stop

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

it's

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

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

Jo

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

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

nervousadjectiveUS /ˈnɜːrvəs/

easily agitated

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

others

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

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

panelsnounUS /ˈpænəlz/

plural of “panel” — sheet that forms a distinct (usually flat and rectangular) section or component of something

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

PastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

raysnounUS /reɪz/

plural of “ray” — a column of light (as from a beacon)

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

rearnounUS /rɪr/

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

runningadjectiveUS /ˈrʌnɪŋ/

(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

shiversnounUS /ˈʃɪvərz/

plural of “shiver” — a reflex motion caused by cold or fear or excitement

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

spinesnounUS /spaɪnz/

plural of “spine” — the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading “It looks as if it’s made of stone panels.”

suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/

happening unexpectedly

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

threenounUS /θriː/

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

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading As they threw the rays from their lights on the rear wall of the room, Jo Ann suddenly halted.

wall'snounUS /wɔːlz/

possessive form of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading “This wall’s different from the others,” she announced.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Past the ghostly figures the three girls made their way, nervous shivers running up and down their spines in spite of the fact that they knew these figures would not harm them.

Chapter 15 of The Secret of Casa Grande by Helen Randolph holds 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 15 of The Secret of Casa Grande contain?

Chapter 15 holds 139 sentences of The Secret of Casa Grande, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of The Secret of Casa Grande by Helen Randolph exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 139 sentences, grouped into 28 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 15 of The Secret of Casa Grande?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Secret of Casa Grande

Common questions about reading The Secret of Casa Grande by Helen Randolph on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Secret of Casa Grande?

Yes. All 3086 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44059 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Secret of Casa Grande is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #44059, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Secret of Casa Grande take to read?

About 257 minutes of reading across 618 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Secret of Casa Grande section by section

How to work through The Secret of Casa Grande section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Secret of Casa Grande 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 Secret of Casa Grande

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Secret of Casa Grande, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mexican
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Casa Grande; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Casa Grande; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Series
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Casa Grande; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Helen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Secret of Casa Grande; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.