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Zelda Dameron
Zelda Dameron

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Zelda Dameron
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.
Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.
“Good morning, Aunt Julia!
Welcome to your ancestral home!
Come on up!”
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.

Zelda Dameron

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.
Line 2
Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.
Line 3
“Good morning, Aunt Julia!
Line 4
Welcome to your ancestral home!
/ˈwelkəm tuː jɔːr ænˈsestrəl hoʊm/
Line 5
Come on up!”
/kʌm ɑːn ʌp/

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.

ancestral adjective US /ænˈsestrəl/

inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent

From this reading “Welcome to your ancestral home!”

colored adjective US /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading “Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.”

contrivance noun US /kənˈtraɪvəns/

a device or control that is very useful for a particular job

From this reading “ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.”

landing noun US /ˈlændɪŋ/

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading “ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.”

old-fashioned adjective US /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading “ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.”

receives verb US /rəˈsiːvz/

third-person singular of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading “ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.”

warily adverb US /ˈwerəli/

in a wary manner

From this reading “Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.”

wire noun US /ˈwaɪər/

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading “ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.”

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.

ancestral home adjective + noun

In this reading “Welcome to your ancestral home!”

flung wide verb + adjective counted as “fling wide”

In this reading “Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.”

All words in this reading · 54

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 ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

admittedverbUS /ədˈmɪtɪd/

inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

ancestraladjectiveUS /ænˈsestrəl/

inherited or inheritable by established rules (usually legal rules) of descent

From this reading Welcome to your ancestral home!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

AuntnounUS /ænt/

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

From this reading “Good morning, Aunt Julia!

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

censoriously

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/

having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

ComeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Come on up!”

contrivancenounUS /kənˈtraɪvəns/

a device or control that is very useful for a particular job

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

door-bell

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

doorsnounUS /dɔːrz/

plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

flungverbUS /flʌŋ/

inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

Forrest

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

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

frontnounUS /frʌnt/

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading “Good morning, Aunt Julia!

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Welcome to your ancestral home!

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

Julia

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

From this reading “Good morning, Aunt Julia!

landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/

an intermediate platform in a staircase

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

listenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

maid-of-all-work

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

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading “Good morning, Aunt Julia!

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

old-fashionedadjectiveUS /ˌoʊldˈfæʃənd/

out of fashion

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

pealed

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

Polly

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

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

ranverbUS /ræn/

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

rangverbUS /ræŋ/

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

RECEIVESverbUS /rəˈsiːvz/

third-person singular of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

second-floor

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

thrustverbUS /θrʌst/

push forcefully

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

trunknounUS /trʌŋk/

the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Come on up!”

usuallyadverbUS /ˈjuːʒəwəli/

under normal conditions

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

VISITORnounUS /ˈvɪzɪtər/

someone who visits

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

warilyadverbUS /ˈwerəli/

in a wary manner

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

WelcomeverbUS /ˈwelkəm/

accept gladly

From this reading Welcome to your ancestral home!

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

wideadjectiveUS /waɪd/

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

wirenounUS /ˈwaɪər/

ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Polly, the colored maid-of-all-work, admitted Mrs. Forrest warily, though Mrs. Forrest was a woman for whom doors were usually flung wide.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Welcome to your ancestral home!

ZELDA

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

From this reading ZELDA RECEIVES A VISITOR The front door-bell rang--it was an old-fashioned contrivance, on a wire, and pealed censoriously--and Zelda thrust the book back into the trunk and ran to the second-floor landing to listen.

Chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron by Meredith Nicholson holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron contain?

Chapter 3 holds 161 sentences of Zelda Dameron, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron by Meredith Nicholson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of Zelda Dameron?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

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

Questions about reading Zelda Dameron

Common questions about reading Zelda Dameron by Meredith Nicholson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Zelda Dameron?

Yes. All 7412 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #65630 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Zelda Dameron is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #65630, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Zelda Dameron take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1483 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Zelda Dameron section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 36 chapters of Zelda Dameron 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 Zelda Dameron

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

Meredith
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zelda Dameron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nicholson
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zelda Dameron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zelda Dameron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Zelda Dameron; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.