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The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)
The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 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 2 (of 3)
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ON THE TOP.
The top of the tower was flat.
It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.
A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.
This tank had been of substantial make.
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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 Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 115 sentences across 23 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ON THE TOP.
/ɑːn ðə tɑːp/
Line 2
The top of the tower was flat.
/ðə tɑːp ʌv ðə ˈtaʊər wɑːz flæt/
Line 3
It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.
/ɪt wɑːz riːtʃt θruː ə ˈhʊdɪd ˈdɔːrweɪ rɪˈzembəlɪŋ ə ʃɪps kəmˈpænjən/
Line 4
A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.
/ə ˈperəpet əˈbaʊt tuː ənd ə hæf fiːt haɪ ræn raʊnd ðə ˈtaʊər ɑːn ɔːl saɪdz ənd ɪn ðə ˌleftˈhænd ˈæŋɡəl ʌv ðə ˈperəpet ˈlʊkɪŋ təˈwɔːrdz ðə ɡraʊndz ɪn frʌnt ʌv ðə haʊs stʊd ðə tɔːl ˈbætərd dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd ˈrʌstɪd tæŋk/
Line 5
This tank had been of substantial make.
/ðɪs tæŋk hæd bɪn ʌv səbˈstænʃəl meɪk/

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.

battered adjective US /ˈbætərd/

damaged by blows or hard usage

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dilapidated adjective US /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/

in deplorable condition

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hooded verb US /ˈhʊdɪd/

past form of “hood” — cover with a hood

From this reading “It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
left-hand adjective US /ˌleftˈhænd/

intended for the left hand

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
parapet noun US /ˈperəpet/

a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resembling verb US /rɪˈzembəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading “It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rusted adjective US /ˈrʌstɪd/

having accumulated rust

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tank noun US /tæŋk/

an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads

From this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

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.

in front preposition + noun

at or in the front

In this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

87,341 times in 426,211 chapters
ON THE TOP preposition + article + noun counted as “on … top”

In this reading “ON THE TOP.”

15,940 times in 426,211 chapters
ran round verb + noun counted as “run round”

In this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

2,815 times in 426,211 chapters
about two preposition + noun

In this reading “A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.”

15,042 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 46

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 It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anglenounUS /ˈæŋɡəl/

the space between two lines or planes that intersect; the inclination of one line to another; measured in degrees or radians

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
batteredadjectiveUS /ˈbætərd/

damaged by blows or hard usage

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This tank had been of substantial make.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
companionnounUS /kəmˈpænjən/

a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dilapidatedadjectiveUS /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/

in deplorable condition

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading The top of the tower was flat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
groundsnounUS /ɡraʊndz/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading This tank had been of substantial make.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hoodedverbUS /ˈhʊdɪd/

past form of “hood” — cover with a hood

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
left-handadjectiveUS /ˌleftˈhænd/

intended for the left hand

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading This tank had been of substantial make.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The top of the tower was flat.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON THE TOP.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
parapetnounUS /ˈperəpet/

a low wall along the edge of a roof or balcony

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reachedverbUS /riːtʃt/

past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resemblingverbUS /rɪˈzembəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rustedadjectiveUS /ˈrʌstɪd/

having accumulated rust

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ship'snounUS /ʃɪps/

possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sidesnounUS /saɪdz/

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

Velmora curated lexicon
substantialadjectiveUS /səbˈstænʃəl/

of considerable importance, size, or worth

From this reading This tank had been of substantial make.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tanknounUS /tæŋk/

an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

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 ON THE TOP.

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 This tank had been of substantial make.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading It was reached through a hooded doorway resembling a ship's companion.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TOPnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading ON THE TOP.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
towernounUS /ˈtaʊər/

a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building

From this reading The top of the tower was flat.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading A parapet about two and a half feet high ran round the tower on all sides, and in the left-hand angle of the parapet, looking towards the grounds in front of the house, stood the tall, battered, dilapidated, rusted tank.

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 The top of the tower was flat.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) by Richard Dowling holds 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) contain?

Chapter 7 holds 115 sentences of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 23 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) by Richard Dowling exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 115 sentences, grouped into 23 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 7 of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)?

Work through the 23 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 23 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)

Common questions about reading The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) by Richard Dowling on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)?

Yes. All 2333 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41553 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41553, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) take to read?

About 194 minutes of reading across 467 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) section by section

How to work through The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3)

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Weird
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Weird Sisters: A Romance. Volume 2 (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 2 (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 2 (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 2 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.