Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Woodcliff
Woodcliff

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Woodcliff is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Harriet B. (Harriet Burn) McKeever • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Woodcliff
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE EARLY DAWN.
"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.
"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."
"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."
"How did you spend your time, Madeline?"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Woodcliff

Chapter XVIII

Chapter 18 of Woodcliff is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
THE EARLY DAWN.
/ðə ˈɜːrli dɔːn/
Line 2
"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.
Line 3
"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."
Line 4
"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."
/aɪ wɑːz fɔːr əˈwaɪl dɪr ænt bʌt aɪ dɪˈskʌvərd ðæt ɔːl wɑːz mɪr mərˈɑːʒ ðer wɑːz æn ˈɪnər laɪf ðæt wɑːz ˈhoʊli stɑːrvd ɪn ðæt ˈhɑːrtləs raʊnd ʌv ˈfɑːli/
Line 5
"How did you spend your time, Madeline?"

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.

accounts noun US /əˈkaʊnts/

plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading “"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awhile adverb US /əˈwaɪl/

for a short time

From this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heartless adjective US /ˈhɑːrtləs/

lacking in feeling or pity or warmth

From this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoxicated adjective US /ɪnˈtɑːksəkeɪtɪd/

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading “"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mirage noun US /mərˈɑːʒ/

an optical illusion in which atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections of distant objects

From this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
niece noun US /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
starved adjective US /stɑːrvd/

suffering from lack of food

From this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
temptations noun US /temˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “temptation” — something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

From this reading “"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

EARLY DAWN adjective + noun

In this reading “THE EARLY DAWN.”

1,467 times in 426,211 chapters
once more adverb + adjective

anew

In this reading “"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.”

110,081 times in 426,211 chapters
glowing accounts adjective + noun counted as “glowing account”

In this reading “"I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."”

258 times in 426,211 chapters
dear papa adjective + noun

In this reading “"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.”

1,456 times in 426,211 chapters
inner life adjective + noun

In this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

1,040 times in 426,211 chapters
dear aunt adjective + noun

In this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

1,955 times in 426,211 chapters
dear niece adjective + noun

In this reading “"I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.”

262 times in 426,211 chapters
for awhile preposition + adverb

In this reading “"I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."”

3,415 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 65

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.

accountsnounUS /əˈkaʊnts/

plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
awhileadverbUS /əˈwaɪl/

for a short time

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Clara

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Pending verification
DAWNnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading THE EARLY DAWN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading "How did you spend your time, Madeline?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EARLYadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading THE EARLY DAWN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
farewellnounUS /ˌferˈwel/

an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
follynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/

highly enthusiastic

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heartlessadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrtləs/

lacking in feeling or pity or warmth

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
How

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

From this reading "How did you spend your time, Madeline?"

Pending verification
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inneradjectiveUS /ˈɪnər/

located inward

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
intoxicatedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈtɑːksəkeɪtɪd/

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Madeline

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

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Pending verification
Madeline's

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Pending verification
mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/

being nothing more than specified

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
miragenounUS /mərˈɑːʒ/

an optical illusion in which atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections of distant objects

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
niecenounUS /niːs/

a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
papanounUS /ˈpɑːpʌ/

an informal term for a father; probably derived from baby talk

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
spendverbUS /spend/

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading "How did you spend your time, Madeline?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
starvedadjectiveUS /stɑːrvd/

suffering from lack of food

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
temptationsnounUS /temˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “temptation” — something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE EARLY DAWN.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "I was for awhile, dear aunt, but I discovered that all was mere mirage; there was an inner life that was wholly starved in that heartless round of folly."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "How did you spend your time, Madeline?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I shall not leave you long, dear papa," was Madeline's farewell; and Aunt Clara was but too happy to see her dear niece once more.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I have heard glowing accounts of your winter in New York, Madeline; I really was afraid that you would be wholly intoxicated by its temptations."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 18 of Woodcliff by Harriet B. (Harriet Burn) McKeever holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 18 of Woodcliff contain?

Chapter 18 holds 197 sentences of Woodcliff, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Woodcliff by Harriet B. (Harriet Burn) McKeever exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 18 of Woodcliff?

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

Each of the 40 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Woodcliff

Common questions about reading Woodcliff by Harriet B. (Harriet Burn) McKeever on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Woodcliff?

Yes. All 6205 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76570 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Woodcliff is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76570, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Woodcliff take to read?

About 517 minutes of reading across 1241 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Woodcliff section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of Woodcliff 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 Woodcliff

Words and structures a reader meets early in Woodcliff, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Woodcliff
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Woodcliff; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Woodcliff; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edith's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Woodcliff; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ministry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Woodcliff; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.