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Under the Southern Cross
Under the Southern Cross

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Under the Southern Cross is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Under the Southern Cross
Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"
"Do?"
I repeat innocently.
"What's the matter with him?"
"Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.
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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.

Under the Southern Cross

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Under the Southern Cross is here in full — 212 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"
Line 2
"Do?"
/duː/
Line 3
I repeat innocently.
/aɪ rɪˈpiːt ˈɪnəsəntli/
Line 4
"What's the matter with him?"
Line 5
"Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

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.

Baron noun US /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading “I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"”

brushes noun US /ˈbrʌʃɪz/

plural of “brush” — a dense growth of bushes

From this reading “I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"”

innocently adverb US /ˈɪnəsəntli/

in a not unlawful manner

From this reading “I repeat innocently.”

interfere verb US /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/

come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading “"Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.”

lectured verb US /ˈlektʃərd/

past form of “lecture” — deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading “I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"”

prematurely adverb US /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading “I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"”

repeat verb US /rɪˈpiːt/

to say, state, or perform again

From this reading “I repeat innocently.”

Steele noun US /stiːl/

English writer (1672-1729)

From this reading “I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"”

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

AMauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

BaronnounUS /ˈbærən/

a nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

Blanche

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

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

brushesnounUS /ˈbrʌʃɪz/

plural of “brush” — a dense growth of bushes

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

enounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

frankadjectiveUS /fræŋk/

characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

greyadjectiveUS /ɡreɪ/

of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

hnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

hairnounUS /her/

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "What's the matter with him?"

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

innocentlyadverbUS /ˈɪnəsəntli/

in a not unlawful manner

From this reading I repeat innocently.

interfereverbUS /ˌɪntərˈfɪr/

come between so as to be hindrance or obstacle

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

LECTUREDverbUS /ˈlektʃərd/

past form of “lecture” — deliver a lecture or talk

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

lovelyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌvli/

appealing to the emotions as well as the eye

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading "What's the matter with him?"

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

prematurelyadverbUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

repeatverbUS /rɪˈpiːt/

to say, state, or perform again

From this reading I repeat innocently.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

SteelenounUS /stiːl/

English writer (1672-1729)

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

tnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

wavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

What's

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

From this reading "What's the matter with him?"

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "What's the matter with him?"

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "Now, Blanche, you said if I would promise not to interfere you would be frank.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I AM LECTURED "Blanche," says Mrs. Steele the next morning as she brushes out the lovely waves of prematurely grey hair, "what are you going to do about t h e Baron?"

Chapter 3 of Under the Southern Cross by Elizabeth Robins holds 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 3 of Under the Southern Cross contain?

Chapter 3 holds 212 sentences of Under the Southern Cross, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Under the Southern Cross by Elizabeth Robins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 212 sentences, grouped into 43 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 3 of Under the Southern Cross?

Work through the 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 43 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Under the Southern Cross

Common questions about reading Under the Southern Cross by Elizabeth Robins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Under the Southern Cross?

Yes. All 1541 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28008 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Under the Southern Cross is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28008, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Under the Southern Cross take to read?

About 128 minutes of reading across 309 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Under the Southern Cross section by section

How to work through Under the Southern Cross section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 7 chapters of Under the Southern Cross 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 Under the Southern Cross

Words and structures a reader meets early in Under the Southern Cross, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Agreeable
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Southern Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fellow
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Southern Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Passenger
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Southern Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spirit
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Under the Southern Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.