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The Tower Rooms
The Tower Rooms

Chapter III · I Make a Friend

Chapter III of The Tower Rooms, “I Make a Friend,” is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Tower Rooms
Context Illustration Reading 1/34 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.
Awfully rude of mebut I hadn’t time to think.
The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the trainhad to sprint the last two hundred yards.
I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”
He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Tower Rooms

Chapter III · I Make a Friend

Chapter III of The Tower Rooms, “I Make a Friend,” is here in full — 174 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.
/aɪ beɡ jɔːr ˈpɑːrdən fɔːr ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ ˈoʊvər juː ɪn sʌtʃ ə weɪ hiː sed/
Line 2
Awfully rude of mebut I hadn’t time to think.
Line 3
The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the trainhad to sprint the last two hundred yards.
Line 4
I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”
Line 5
He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.
/hiː wɑːz ə tɔːl jʌŋ mæn wɪð ðə ˈnaɪsɪst ˈʌɡli feɪs aɪ hæd ˈevər siːn/

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.

Awfully adverb US /ˈɑːfli/

used as intensifiers

From this reading ““Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.”

beg verb US /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading “‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.”

nicest adjective US /ˈnaɪsɪst/

superlative of “nice” — pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance

From this reading “He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.”

pardon verb US /ˈpɑːrdən/

accept an excuse for

From this reading “‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.”

rude adjective US /ruːd/

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading ““Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.”

sprint verb US /sprɪnt/

run very fast, usually for a short distance

From this reading “The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.”

tumbling noun US /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/

the gymnastic moves of an acrobat

From this reading “‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.”

ugly adjective US /ˈʌɡli/

displeasing to the senses

From this reading “He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.”

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.

hundred yards noun + noun counted as “hundred yard”

In this reading “The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.”

two hundred noun + noun

being ten more than one hundred ninety

In this reading “The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.”

young man adjective + noun

a teenager or a young adult male

In this reading “He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.”

ugly face adjective + noun

In this reading “He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.”

went wrong verb + adjective counted as “go wrong”

be unsuccessful

In this reading “The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.”

pardon for verb + particle

In this reading “‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.”

last two adjective + noun

In this reading “The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

AwfullyadverbUS /ˈɑːfli/

used as intensifiers

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

BEGverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

carnounUS /kɑːr/

a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

catchverbUS /kætʃ/

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

didn't

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

From this reading I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

hadn't

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

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

hurtverbUS /hɜːrt/

be the source of pain

From this reading I do hope I didn’t hurt you?”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

nicestadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪsɪst/

superlative of “nice” — pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

pardonverbUS /ˈpɑːrdən/

accept an excuse for

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

rudeadjectiveUS /ruːd/

socially incorrect in behavior

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

sprintverbUS /sprɪnt/

run very fast, usually for a short distance

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Awfully rude of me—but I hadn’t time to think.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

tumblingnounUS /ˈtʌmbəlɪŋ/

the gymnastic moves of an acrobat

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

uglyadjectiveUS /ˈʌɡli/

displeasing to the senses

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

we'd

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

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

yardsnounUS /jɑːrdz/

plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading The car went wrong, and I never thought we’d catch the train—had to sprint the last two hundred yards.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading He was a tall young man with the nicest ugly face I had ever seen.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ‟I BEG your pardon for tumbling over you in such a way,” he said.

Chapter 3 of The Tower Rooms by Mary Grant Bruce holds 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 3 of The Tower Rooms contain?

Chapter 3 holds 174 sentences of The Tower Rooms, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Tower Rooms by Mary Grant Bruce exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 174 sentences, grouped into 35 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 3 of The Tower Rooms?

Work through the 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 35 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Tower Rooms

Common questions about reading The Tower Rooms by Mary Grant Bruce on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Tower Rooms?

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

Which edition of The Tower Rooms is used?

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

How long does The Tower Rooms take to read?

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

How to read The Tower Rooms section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Tower Rooms

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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