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We of the Never-Never
We of the Never-Never

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of We of the Never-Never is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
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Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the ways of the homestead.”
Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.
Sam’s account being satisfactorily squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.
That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.
There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.
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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 of the Never-Never

Chapter XI · Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of We of the Never-Never is here in full — 117 sentences across 24 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in theways of the homestead.”
Line 2
Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.
Line 3
Sam’s account being satisfactorilysquared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.
Line 4
That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.
/ðæt wɑːz ðə ˈoʊnli ˈveɪkənsi hiː ˈevər fɪld ɪn ðə bʊks bʌt ɪn ˈaʊər laɪf æt ðə ˈhoʊmsted hiː fɪld ˈɔːlmoʊst ˈevəri ˈveɪkənsi ðæt riˈkwaɪərd ˈfɪlɪŋ ənd ðer wɜːr ˈmeni/
Line 5
There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

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.

bland adjective US /blænd/

lacking taste or flavor or tang

From this reading “Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.””

delightfully adverb US /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading “There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.”

disobedient adjective US /ˌdɪsəˈbiːdiənt/

not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority

From this reading “There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.”

homestead noun US /ˈhoʊmsted/

the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family

From this reading “Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.””

Sam's noun US /sæmz/

possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

satisfactorily adverb US /ˌsætɪˈsfæktrəli/

in a satisfactory manner

From this reading “Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.”

squared adjective US /skwerd/

having been made square

From this reading “Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.”

vacancy noun US /ˈveɪkənsi/

being unoccupied

From this reading “That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.”

All words in this reading · 100

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 “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

anybody's

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

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

appliedadjectiveUS /əˈplaɪd/

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

blandadjectiveUS /blænd/

lacking taste or flavor or tang

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

castenounUS /kæst/

social status or position conferred by a system based on class

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

Cheon

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

Cheon's

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

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

chequenounUS /tʃek/

a written order directing a bank to pay money

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

cock-crow

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

contemptnounUS /kənˈtempt/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

cookverbUS /kʊk/

prepare a hot meal

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

delightfullyadverbUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəli/

in a delightful manner

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

disobedientadjectiveUS /ˌdɪsəˈbiːdiənt/

not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

dutiesnounUS /ˈduːtiz/

plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

entertainingadjectiveUS /ˌentərˈteɪnɪŋ/

agreeably diverting

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

expressingverbUS /ɪkˈspresɪŋ/

-ing form of “express” — give expression to

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

filledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

fillingnounUS /ˈfɪlɪŋ/

any material that fills a space or container

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

formallyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrməli/

with official authorization

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

fowl-sing-out

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

gardenernounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənər/

someone who takes care of a garden

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

homesteadnounUS /ˈhoʊmsted/

the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

instructedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

instructionnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃən/

a message describing how something is to be done

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

majesticadjectiveUS /məˈdʒestɪk/

majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

MepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

offerverbUS /ˈɔːfər/

make available or accessible, provide or furnish

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/

more desirable than another

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

refusedverbUS /rəˈfjuːzd/

past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

refusingverbUS /rəˈfjuːzɪŋ/

-ing form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

requiredadjectiveUS /riˈkwaɪərd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

SamnounUS /sæm/

a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

Sam'snounUS /sæmz/

possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

satisfactorilyadverbUS /ˌsætɪˈsfæktrəli/

in a satisfactory manner

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

savey

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

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

scornfullyadverb

without respect; in a disdainful manner

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

shillingsnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋz/

plural of “shilling” — the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

shooknounUS /ʃʊk/

a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

smilinglyadverbUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋli/

with smiles; in a smiling manner

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

squaredadjectiveUS /skwerd/

having been made square

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

stationnounUS /ˈsteɪʃən/

a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

supremeadjectiveUS /səˈpriːm/

final or last in your life or progress

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

unexpectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪd/

not expected or anticipated

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

vacancynounUS /ˈveɪkənsi/

being unoccupied

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

wavenounUS /weɪv/

one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

waysnounUS /weɪz/

structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

From this reading Cheon rose at cock-crow (“fowl-sing-out,” he preferred to call it), and began his duties by scornfully refusing Sam’s bland offer of instruction in the “ways of the homestead.”

weeknounUS /wiːk/

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Sam’s account being satisfactorily “squared,” Cheon’s name was then formally entered in the station books as cook and gardener, at twenty- five shillings a week.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading There was nothing he could not and did not do for our good, and it was well that he refused to be instructed in anybody’s ways, for his own were delightfully disobedient and unexpected and entertaining.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading That was the only vacancy he ever filled in the books; but in our life at the homestead he filled almost every vacancy that required filling, and there were many.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

withdrewverbUS /wɪθˈdruː/

inflected form of “withdraw” — pull back or move away or backward

From this reading “Me savey all about,” he said, with a majestic wave of his hands, after expressing supreme contempt for Sam’s caste and ways; so Sam applied for his cheque, shook hands all round, and withdrew smilingly.

Chapter 11 of We of the Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn holds 117 sentences, grouped into 24 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 11 of We of the Never-Never contain?

Chapter 11 holds 117 sentences of We of the Never-Never, unabridged, divided into 24 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 11 of We of the Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 117 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.

How do I study chapter 11 of We of the Never-Never?

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.

Can chapter 11 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 11 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 of the Never-Never

Common questions about reading We of the Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of We of the Never-Never?

Yes. All 2942 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4699 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of We of the Never-Never is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4699, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does We of the Never-Never take to read?

About 245 minutes of reading across 589 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read We of the Never-Never section by section

How to work through We of the Never-Never section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in We of the Never-Never

Words and structures a reader meets early in We of the Never-Never, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Begin
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We of the Never-Never; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Somewhere
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We of the Never-Never; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beginning
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We of the Never-Never; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Maluka
A word that appears in the opening chapter of We of the Never-Never; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.