Chapter 9 of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center. "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor. They examined the remaining construction. It was narrow and short. It suggested a granite-like base.
Chapter 9 of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life is here in full — 120 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
plural of “bolster” — a pillow that is often put across a bed underneath the regular pillows
From this reading “SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.”
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading “SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.”
the act of constructing something
From this reading “They examined the remaining construction.”
join tongue and groove, in carpentry
From this reading “SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.”
cake flavored with ginger
From this reading “"These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.”
-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of
From this reading “SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.”
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading “"These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.”
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading “SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It suggested a granite-like base.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading It suggested a granite-like base.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
plural of “bolster” — a pillow that is often put across a bed underneath the regular pillows
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
The middle point or core of an area.
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
clothing in general
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
the act of constructing something
From this reading They examined the remaining construction.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
to or in any or all places
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
From this reading They examined the remaining construction.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
join tongue and groove, in carpentry
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
a person of German nationality
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
cake flavored with ginger
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It suggested a granite-like base.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was narrow and short.
plural of “like” — a similar kind
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading It was narrow and short.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
not used up
From this reading They examined the remaining construction.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading It was narrow and short.
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading It suggested a granite-like base.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
someone who visits
From this reading "These bolsters are for the gingerbread effect that the German likes everywhere," explained the visitor.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading SPIES AND WAR They took off the bed clothes, including the two huge feather bolsters in the center.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was narrow and short.
Chapter 9 of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life by Stuart Oliver Henry holds 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.
Chapter 9 holds 120 sentences of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life by Stuart Oliver Henry exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 120 sentences, grouped into 24 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.
Work through the 24 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 24 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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.
Common questions about reading Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life by Stuart Oliver Henry on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4084 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19946 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19946, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 340 minutes of reading across 817 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 40 chapters of Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Villa Elsa A Story of German Family Life, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
