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The Turner Twins
The Turner Twins

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Turner Twins is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ralph Henry Barbour • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Turner Twins
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“It’s like this,” explained Ned.
He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.
The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.
A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.
On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.
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 Turner Twins

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Turner Twins is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“It’s like this,” explained Ned.
Line 2
He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.
Line 3
The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.
/ðə ɡɜːrlz wɜːr ɑːn ðə bentʃ ənd ðə bɔɪz wɜːr ˈsiːtɪd ɑːn ðə tɜːrf bɪˈfɔːr ðə ˈɑːrbər ðer niːz ɪnˈsɜːrkəld wɪð ðer ɑːrmz/
Line 4
A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.
Line 5
On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

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.

arbor noun US /ˈɑːrbər/

tree (as opposed to shrub)

From this reading “The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
benignly adverb US /bəˈnaɪnli/

in a benign manner

From this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blinked verb US /blɪŋkt/

past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes

From this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
encircled adjective US /ɪnˈsɜːrkəld/

confined on all sides

From this reading “The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maple noun US /ˈmeɪpəl/

wood of any of various maple trees; especially the hard close-grained wood of the sugar maple; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shifting adjective US /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/

continuously varying

From this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twitched verb US /twɪtʃt/

past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion

From this reading “A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
woodpecker noun US /ˈwʊdpekər/

bird with strong claws and a stiff tail adapted for climbing and a hard chisel-like bill for boring into wood for insects

From this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

few yards adjective + noun counted as “few yard”

In this reading “A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.”

7,077 times in 426,211 chapters
black cat adjective + noun

large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal

In this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

1,506 times in 426,211 chapters
on the bench preposition + article + noun counted as “on … bench”

In this reading “The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.”

8,058 times in 426,211 chapters
On the porch preposition + article + noun counted as “on … porch”

In this reading “On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.”

5,062 times in 426,211 chapters
on the turf preposition + article + noun counted as “on … turf”

In this reading “The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.”

1,285 times in 426,211 chapters
little garden adjective + noun

In this reading “He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.”

2,868 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 69

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 A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Antoinette

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

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

Pending verification
arbornounUS /ˈɑːrbər/

tree (as opposed to shrub)

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
armsnounUS /ɑːrmz/

weapons considered collectively

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
benchnounUS /bentʃ/

a long seat for more than one person

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
benignlyadverbUS /bəˈnaɪnli/

in a benign manner

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
black-and-whiteadjective

lacking hue or shades of grey; part white and part black

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
blinkedverbUS /blɪŋkt/

past form of “blink” — briefly shut the eyes

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
catnounUS /kæt/

feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
encircledadjectiveUS /ɪnˈsɜːrkəld/

confined on all sides

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
explainedverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnd/

past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible

From this reading “It’s like this,” explained Ned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyedadjectiveUS /aɪd/

having an eye or eyes or eyelike feature especially as specified; often used in combination

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ferrand

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Pending verification
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gravelyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪvli/

in a grave and sober manner

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
impudentadjective

marked by casual disrespect

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
It's

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

From this reading “It’s like this,” explained Ned.

Pending verification
kneesnounUS /niːz/

plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Laurie

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Pending verification
likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading “It’s like this,” explained Ned.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
luncheonnounUS /ˈlʌntʃən/

a midday meal

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mae

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Pending verification
maplenounUS /ˈmeɪpəl/

wood of any of various maple trees; especially the hard close-grained wood of the sugar maple; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ned

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

From this reading “It’s like this,” explained Ned.

Pending verification
nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nosenounUS /noʊz/

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Polly

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Pending verification
porchnounUS /pɔːrtʃ/

a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/

(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seekingnounUS /ˈsiːkɪŋ/

the act of searching for something

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/

continuously varying

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading “It’s like this,” explained Ned.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Towser

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

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Pending verification
turfnounUS /tɜːrf/

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twitchedverbUS /twɪtʃt/

past form of “twitch” — make an uncontrolled, short, jerky motion

From this reading A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading He and Laurie and Polly and Mae Ferrand were in the little garden behind the shop.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The girls were on the bench and the boys were seated on the turf before the arbor, their knees encircled with their arms.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woodpeckernounUS /ˈwʊdpekər/

bird with strong claws and a stiff tail adapted for climbing and a hard chisel-like bill for boring into wood for insects

From this reading On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

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 On the porch step, Towser, the big black cat, blinked benignly, sometimes shifting his gaze to the branches of the maple in the next yard, where an impudent black-and-white woodpecker was seeking a late luncheon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 A few yards away Antoinette eyed them gravely and twitched her nose.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 12 of The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 12 of The Turner Twins contain?

Chapter 12 holds 210 sentences of The Turner Twins, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 sentences, grouped into 42 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 12 of The Turner Twins?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Turner Twins

Common questions about reading The Turner Twins by Ralph Henry Barbour on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Turner Twins?

Yes. All 4793 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #37209 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Turner Twins is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #37209, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Turner Twins take to read?

About 399 minutes of reading across 959 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Turner Twins section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Turner Twins 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 Turner Twins

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

Flannels
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
School
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pronounced
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Serge
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Turner Twins; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.