The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Richard Dowling • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

AN UNSELFISH FATHER.

The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

Narrator

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LEARNER DICTIONARY

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Chapter V Reading 1/29

The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) Richard Dowling

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

AN UNSELFISH FATHER. The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river. Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile. At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger. The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) is here in full — 145 sentences across 29 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

AN UNSELFISH FATHER.

Line 2

The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

Line 3

Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

Line 4

At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

Line 5

The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

/ðə ˈaɪlənd wɪtʃ ˈrerli ɪz kɔːld baɪ ɪts pərˈtɪkjələr neɪm bʌt ɪz ˈspoʊkən ʌv æz ðə ˈaɪlənd ˈmeʒərz ə maɪl lɔːŋ baɪ hæf ə maɪl brɔːd/

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.

considerably adverb US /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

to a great extent or degree

From this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

eighteen adjective US /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading “The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.”

loop verb US /luːp/

move in loops

From this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

measures noun US /ˈmeʒərz/

plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading “The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.”

rarely adverb US /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading “The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.”

varies verb US /ˈveriz/

third-person singular of “vary” — become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence

From this reading “Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.”

widens verb US /ˈwaɪdənz/

third-person singular of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive

From this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

width noun US /wɪdθ/

the extent of something from side to side

From this reading “Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.”

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.

eighteen miles adjective + noun counted as “eighteen mile”

In this reading “The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.”

four miles noun + noun counted as “four mile”

In this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

At a distance preposition + article + noun counted as “at … distance”

In this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

from the city preposition + article + noun counted as “from … city”

In this reading “At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.”

on the river preposition + article + noun counted as “on … river”

In this reading “The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.”

at the mouth preposition + article + noun counted as “at … mouth”

In this reading “The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.”

All words in this reading · 55

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 The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading AN UNSELFISH FATHER.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

baynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

BetweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

broadadjectiveUS /brɔːd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

considerablyadverbUS /kənˈsɪdərəbli/

to a great extent or degree

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

Daneford

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

FATHERnounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading AN UNSELFISH FATHER.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

islandnounUS /ˈaɪlənd/

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

loopverbUS /luːp/

move in loops

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

measuresnounUS /ˈmeʒərz/

plural of “measure” — any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

milenounUS /maɪl/

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

particularadjectiveUS /pərˈtɪkjələr/

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

rarelyadverbUS /ˈrerli/

not often

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

Seacliff

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/

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

From this reading The island, which rarely is called by its particular name, but is spoken of as "The Island," measures a mile long by half a mile broad.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

UNSELFISHadjective

disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others

From this reading AN UNSELFISH FATHER.

variesverbUS /ˈveriz/

third-person singular of “vary” — become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one's or its former characteristics or essence

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

Warfinger

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

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

watering-town

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

Weeslade

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The city of Daneford, on the river Weeslade, is about eighteen miles from the small watering-town, Seacliff, which stands in a little bay at the mouth of the river.

widensverbUS /ˈwaɪdənz/

third-person singular of “widen” — become broader or wider or more extensive

From this reading At a distance of less than four miles from the city the river widens considerably into a loop, and in the loop is the island of Warfinger.

widthnounUS /wɪdθ/

the extent of something from side to side

From this reading Between Daneford and Seacliff the width of the river varies, but is never less than a mile.

Chapter 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) by Richard Dowling holds 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) contain?

Chapter 5 holds 145 sentences of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 29 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3) by Richard Dowling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 145 sentences, grouped into 29 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 5 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)?

Work through the 29 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 29 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #41552, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 159 minutes of reading across 383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Weird: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sisters: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romance: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter V

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Vocabulary met early in The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 1 (of 3)