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The Trimming of Goosie
The Trimming of Goosie

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Trimming of Goosie is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Trimming of Goosie
Context Illustration Reading 1/13 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?
Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.
Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.
Mostly, it is about wings.
There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).
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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 Trimming of Goosie

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of The Trimming of Goosie is here in full — 66 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?
Line 2
Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.
/wel ðeɪ ɑːr ˈɡetɪŋ əˈlɔːŋ ˈveri wel ˈveri wel ˈveri wel ˌɪnˈdiːd/
Line 3
Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.
Line 4
Mostly, it is about wings.
/ˈmoʊstli ɪt ɪz əˈbaʊt wɪŋz/
Line 5
There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

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.

couples noun US /ˈkʌpəlz/

plural of “couple” — a pair who associate with one another

From this reading “Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.”

differences noun US /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading “Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.”

diverge verb US /dɪˈvɜːrdʒ/

move or draw apart

From this reading “There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).”

Dolly noun US /ˈdɑːli/

conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted

From this reading “And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?”

fundamental adjective US /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).”

irresistibly adverb US /ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbli/

incapable of being resisted

From this reading “There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).”

male noun US /meɪl/

an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading “There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).”

Mostly adverb US /ˈmoʊstli/

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading “Mostly, it is about wings.”

All words in this reading · 47

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 There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

Charles-Norton

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

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

couplesnounUS /ˈkʌpəlz/

plural of “couple” — a pair who associate with one another

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

differencesnounUS /ˈdɪfərənsɪz/

plural of “difference” — the quality of being unlike or dissimilar

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

divergeverbUS /dɪˈvɜːrdʒ/

move or draw apart

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

DollynounUS /ˈdɑːli/

conveyance consisting of a wheeled support on which a camera can be mounted

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

fundamentaladjectiveUS /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

how

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

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

irresistiblyadverbUS /ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbli/

incapable of being resisted

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Mostly, it is about wings.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Mostly, it is about wings.

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 There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

malenounUS /meɪl/

an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

MostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading Mostly, it is about wings.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And now, how about Charles-Norton and Dolly?

OfprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

properadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːpər/

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Of course, they have their little differences--as have most couples.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

WelladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading Well, they are getting along very well; very well, very well indeed.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading There seems to be a something fundamental about both Charles-Norton and Dolly which irresistibly makes them diverge on the question of the proper length of wings (male wings at least).

wingsnounUS /wɪŋz/

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading Mostly, it is about wings.

Chapter 18 of The Trimming of Goosie by James Hopper holds 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 18 of The Trimming of Goosie contain?

Chapter 18 holds 66 sentences of The Trimming of Goosie, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Trimming of Goosie by James Hopper exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 66 sentences, grouped into 14 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 18 of The Trimming of Goosie?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Trimming of Goosie

Common questions about reading The Trimming of Goosie by James Hopper on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Trimming of Goosie?

Yes. All 1940 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #29319 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Trimming of Goosie is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #29319, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Trimming of Goosie take to read?

About 161 minutes of reading across 388 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Trimming of Goosie section by section

How to work through The Trimming of Goosie section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Trimming of Goosie 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 Trimming of Goosie

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Trimming of Goosie, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

James
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Trimming of Goosie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hopper
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Trimming of Goosie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Trimming of Goosie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Caybigan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Trimming of Goosie; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.