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We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I
We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."
_The Song of Hiawatha_.
The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."
Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.
I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.
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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.

We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I is here in full — 176 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."
Line 2
_The Song of Hiawatha_.
/ðə sɔːŋ ʌv ˌhaɪəˈwɑːθə/
Line 3
The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."
/ðə fɜːrst deɪ ʌv ˈfebjəweri wɑːz maɪld ənd ˈfɑːɡi ənd ˈklaʊdi ənd ɪn ðə naɪt aɪ woʊk ˈfiːlɪŋ ˈveri hɑːt ənd θruː ɔːf maɪ kwɪlt ənd hɜːrd ðə ˈdrɪpɪŋ ʌv sɑːft reɪn ɪn ðə dɑːrk ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ənd θɔːt ðer ɡoʊz ˈaʊər ˈskeɪtɪŋ/
Line 4
Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.
Line 5
I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

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.

diver noun US /ˈdaɪvər/

someone who works underwater

From this reading “"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."”

ponds noun US /pɑːndz/

plural of “pond” — a small lake

From this reading “"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."”

quilt noun US /kwɪlt/

bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

From this reading “The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."”

Sifting noun US /ˈsɪftɪŋ/

the act of separating grain from chaff

From this reading “"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."”

skate noun US /skeɪt/

sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

From this reading “I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.”

skating noun US /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/

the sport of gliding on skates

From this reading “The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."”

snowflakes noun US /ˈsnoʊfleɪks/

plural of “snowflake” — a crystal of snow

From this reading “"He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."”

thaw noun US /θɔː/

the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid

From this reading “Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.”

All words in this reading · 108

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 Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

Charlie

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

cloudyadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdi/

lacking definite form or limits

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

damnounUS /dæm/

a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water or to keep out the sea

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

divernounUS /ˈdaɪvər/

someone who works underwater

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

dog-cart

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

drippingnounUS /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/

a liquid (as water) that flows in drops (as from the eaves of house)

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

farmverbUS /fɑːrm/

be a farmer; work as a farmer

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

foggyadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːɡi/

stunned or confused and slow to react (as from blows or drunkenness or exhaustion)

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

forestnounUS /ˈfɔːrəst/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

frostnounUS /frɔːst/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

FrozeverbUS /froʊz/

inflected form of “freeze” — stop moving or become immobilized

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

hadn't

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

HiawathanounUS /ˌhaɪəˈwɑːθə/

a Native American chieftain who argued for peace with the European settlers (16th century)

From this reading _The Song of Hiawatha_.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/

a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

horsenounUS /hɔːrs/

solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

hotadjectiveUS /hɑːt/

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

JemnounUS /dʒem/

a terrorist organization founded in 2000; a militant Islamic group active in Kashmir and closely aligned with al-Rashid Trust; seeks to secure release of imprisoned fellow militants by kidnappings

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

lakesnounUS /leɪks/

plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

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 Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/

moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _The Song of Hiawatha_.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

pondsnounUS /pɑːndz/

plural of “pond” — a small lake

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

pullverbUS /pʊl/

cause to move by pulling

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

quiltnounUS /kwɪlt/

bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

rainnounUS /reɪn/

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

riversnounUS /ˈrɪvərz/

plural of “river” — a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

sharpish

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

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

Shinbegis

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

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

SiftingnounUS /ˈsɪftɪŋ/

the act of separating grain from chaff

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

skatenounUS /skeɪt/

sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

skatingnounUS /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/

the sport of gliding on skates

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

smoothadjectiveUS /smuːð/

having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

snowflakesnounUS /ˈsnoʊfleɪks/

plural of “snowflake” — a crystal of snow

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

softadjectiveUS /sɑːft/

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

SongnounUS /sɔːŋ/

a short musical composition with words

From this reading _The Song of Hiawatha_.

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

surfacenounUS /ˈsɜːrfəs/

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

thawnounUS /θɔː/

the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

TowardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Towards morning, however, I woke again, and had to pull the quilt back into its place, and when I started after breakfast to see what the dam looked like, there was a sharpish frost, which, coming after a day of thaw, had given the ice such a fine smooth surface as we had not had for long.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading "He it was who sent the snowflakes Sifting, hissing through the forest; Froze the ponds, the lakes, the rivers, * * * * * Shinbegis, the diver, feared not."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

wokeverbUS /woʊk/

inflected form of “wake” — be awake, be alert, be there

From this reading The first day of February was mild, and foggy, and cloudy, and in the night I woke feeling very hot, and threw off my quilt, and heard the dripping of soft rain in the dark outside, and thought, "There goes our skating."

WoodsnounUS /wʊdz/

the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading I felt quite sorry for Jem, because he was going in the dog-cart with my father to see a horse, and as I hadn't got him to skate with, I went down to the farm after breakfast, to see what Charlie and the Woods were going to do.

Chapter 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I by Juliana Horatia Ewing holds 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I contain?

Chapter 8 holds 176 sentences of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I by Juliana Horatia Ewing exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 176 sentences, grouped into 36 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 8 of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I

Common questions about reading We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I by Juliana Horatia Ewing on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I?

Yes. All 2005 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #18077 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #18077, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I take to read?

About 167 minutes of reading across 401 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I section by section

How to work through We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I 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 We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I

Words and structures a reader meets early in We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

These
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Common
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Features
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
English
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We and the World: A Book for Boys. Part I; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.