The Spirit of the School

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Spirit of the School is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XI Reading 1/43

The Spirit of the School Ralph Henry Barbour

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Spirit of the School is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

HANSEL MAKES A BARGAIN The principal’s residence was a small two-storied brick cottage standing back of Weeks Hall, and hidden from sight by a grove of trees, through which the graveled driveway wound in and out. At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door. Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression. He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor. A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

The Spirit of the School

Chapter XI

Chapter 11 of The Spirit of the School is here in full — 219 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/43 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

Line 3

Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

/ɪts steɪnd ɡlæs ɪn streɪndʒ ʃeɪdz ʌv ɡriːn ˈjeloʊ ənd braʊn ˈædəd tuː hɪz dɪˈpreʃən/

Line 4

He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

Line 5

A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

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.

brick noun US /brɪk/

rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading “HANSEL MAKES A BARGAIN The principal’s residence was a small two-storied brick cottage standing back of Weeks Hall, and hidden from sight by a grove of trees, through which the graveled driveway wound in and out.”

depression noun US /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

From this reading “Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.”

driveway noun US /ˈdraɪvweɪ/

a road leading up to a private house

grove noun US /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

Lambert noun US /ˈlæmbərt/

a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter

From this reading “He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.”

principal's noun US /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/

possessive form of “principal” — the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

shades noun US /ʃeɪdz/

(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something

From this reading “Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.”

stained adjective US /steɪnd/

marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter

From this reading “Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.”

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.

stained glass adjective + noun

glass that has been colored in some way; used for church windows

In this reading “Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.”

front door noun + noun

exterior door (at the entrance) at the front of a building

In this reading “At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.”

MAKES A BARGAIN verb + article + noun counted as “make … bargain”

In this reading “HANSEL MAKES A BARGAIN The principal’s residence was a small two-storied brick cottage standing back of Weeks Hall, and hidden from sight by a grove of trees, through which the graveled driveway wound in and out.”

never spoken adverb + adjective

In this reading “He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.”

in awe preposition + noun

In this reading “He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.”

All words in this reading · 81

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 HANSEL MAKES A BARGAIN The principal’s residence was a small two-storied brick cottage standing back of Weeks Hall, and hidden from sight by a grove of trees, through which the graveled driveway wound in and out.

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 Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

awenounUS /ɑː/

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

BARGAINnounUS /ˈbɑːrɡən/

an agreement between parties (usually arrived at after discussion) fixing obligations of each

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

bricknounUS /brɪk/

rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

cottagenounUS /ˈkɑːtədʒ/

a small house with a single story

depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/

a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

disappearedverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd/

past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

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

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

drivewaynounUS /ˈdraɪvweɪ/

a road leading up to a private house

fellowsnounUS /ˈfeloʊz/

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

glassnounUS /ɡlæs/

a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

graveled

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

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

grovenounUS /ɡroʊv/

a small growth of trees without underbrush

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

half-past

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

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

HallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

HANSEL

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

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

hiddenadjectiveUS /ˈhɪdən/

not accessible to view

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

LambertnounUS /ˈlæmbərt/

a cgs unit of illumination equal to the brightness of a perfectly diffusing surface that emits or reflects one lumen per square centimeter

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/

a room where books are kept

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

maidnounUS /meɪd/

a female domestic

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

MAKESnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

missionnounUS /ˈmɪʃən/

an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

principal'snounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/

possessive form of “principal” — the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

residencenounUS /ˈrezɪdəns/

any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

sevennounUS /ˈsevən/

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading At half-past seven Hansel found himself standing before the front door.

shadesnounUS /ʃeɪdz/

(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

stainedadjectiveUS /steɪnd/

marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

tinyadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪni/

very small

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

two-storied

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

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He had never spoken to Dr. Lambert and, like most fellows, stood very much in awe of him, and his present mission was one which might not, he believed, please the doctor.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

WeeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

white-aproned

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

From this reading A white-aproned maid admitted him to a tiny library, asked his name and disappeared.

woundnounUS /waʊnd/

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading Its stained glass in strange shades of green, yellow, and brown added to his depression.

Chapter 11 of The Spirit of the School by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 Spirit of the School contain?

Chapter 11 holds 219 sentences of The Spirit of the School, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of The Spirit of the School by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 219 sentences, grouped into 44 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 Spirit of the School?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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.

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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.

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Yes. All 3668 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54190 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #54190, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 305 minutes of reading across 734 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Spirit of the School

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Spirit of the School, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Acquaintance: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spirit of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enough: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spirit of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gargle: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spirit of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gargoyle: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Spirit of the School; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XI

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