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Through deserts and oases of central Asia
Through deserts and oases of central Asia

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Through deserts and oases of central Asia is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Ella Sykes • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Through deserts and oases of central Asia
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.
A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.
Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.
Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.
_The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)
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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.

Through deserts and oases of central Asia

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Through deserts and oases of central Asia is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.
Line 2
A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.
Line 3
Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.
Line 4
Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.
Line 5
_The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)

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.

apples noun US /ˈæpəlz/

plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading “Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Arranging noun US /ərˈeɪndʒɪŋ/

the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

From this reading “Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ballad noun US /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading “_The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
caps noun US /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading “Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
customs noun US /ˈkʌstəmz/

money collected under a tariff

From this reading “MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foreheads noun US /ˈfɔːrhedz/

plural of “forehead” — the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading “Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maids noun US /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading “MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saucers noun US /ˈsɔːsərz/

plural of “saucer” — something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading “Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.”

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.

old ballad adjective + noun

In this reading “_The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)”

824 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 40

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 goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

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 _The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
applesnounUS /ˈæpəlz/

plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ArrangingnounUS /ərˈeɪndʒɪŋ/

the act of arranging and adapting a piece of music

From this reading Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
balladnounUS /ˈbæləd/

a narrative song with a recurrent refrain

From this reading _The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
capsnounUS /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CHINESEnounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/

any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CUSTOMSnounUS /ˈkʌstəmz/

money collected under a tariff

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
figuresnounUS /ˈfɪɡjərz/

plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foreheadsnounUS /ˈfɔːrhedz/

plural of “forehead” — the part of the face above the eyes

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goitrenoun

abnormally enlarged thyroid gland; can result from underproduction or overproduction of hormone or from a deficiency of iodine in the diet

From this reading A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Hissar

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Pending verification
INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Kashgar

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Pending verification
Khotan-Ilchi

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

From this reading Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.

Pending verification
maidsnounUS /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MANNERSnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading _The Maids of Turkestan._ (From an old ballad.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sack-like

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Pending verification
Sarikol

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

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

Pending verification
saucersnounUS /ˈsɔːsərz/

plural of “saucer” — something with a round shape resembling a flat circular plate

From this reading Arranging apples on saucers are the maids of Khotan-Ilchi.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ShortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
slender-waistedadjective

having a small waist

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StraightadjectiveUS /streɪt/

successive (without a break)

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

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 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TURKESTANnoun

a historical region of central Asia that was a center for trade between the East and the West

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WearingnounUS /ˈwerɪŋ/

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading Wearing felt caps, with foreheads high, are the maids of Sarikol.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Yangi

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

From this reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINESE TURKESTAN Straight and slender-waisted are the maids of Kashgar, Short, with sack-like figures, are the maids of Yangi Hissar.

Pending verification
Yarkand

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

From this reading A goitre above and fat below are the maids of Yarkand.

Pending verification

Chapter 18 of Through deserts and oases of central Asia by Ella Sykes holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Through deserts and oases of central Asia contain?

Chapter 18 holds 198 sentences of Through deserts and oases of central Asia, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Through deserts and oases of central Asia by Ella Sykes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 Through deserts and oases of central Asia?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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.

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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 Through deserts and oases of central Asia

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Yes. All 3010 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #72916 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #72916, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 250 minutes of reading across 602 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Through deserts and oases of central Asia

Words and structures a reader meets early in Through deserts and oases of central Asia, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Strike
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Through deserts and oases of central Asia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Track
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Through deserts and oases of central Asia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vanished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Through deserts and oases of central Asia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Demons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Through deserts and oases of central Asia; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.