Project Gutenberg Library B1 C1

Down the River

Down the River by Oliver Optic is available here as the complete text, split into 772 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.

Oliver Optic26 chapters

Down the River by Oliver Optic. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #24283.

26 chaptersComplete chronicle

Five linesIn each reading

US EnglishNarration and vocabulary

Open Chapter I

Academic course · 26 chapters

Course Syllabus

This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.

Down the River

Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.

0 of 759 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.

This edition of Down the River by Oliver Optic carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #24283, divided into 26 chapters and 772 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.

Where can I read Down the River in full?

The complete text of Down the River is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #24283 and divided into 772 sections.

This page carries the whole of Down the River by Oliver Optic, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #24283, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 3858 sentences across 26 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.

How is Down the River divided for reading?

Down the River is presented in 26 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.

Rather than presenting Down the River as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 772 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 26 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.

Can I hear Down the River read aloud?

Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Down the River can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.

Every sentence of Down the River can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.

Questions about reading Down the River

Common questions about reading Down the River by Oliver Optic on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Down the River?

Yes. All 3858 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #24283 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Down the River is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #24283, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Down the River take to read?

About 321 minutes of reading across 772 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Down the River section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 26 chapters of Down the River to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Down the River

Words and structures a reader meets early in Down the River, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Bradford: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Down the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tyrants: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Down the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Down the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Young: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Down the River; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Down the River

Where can I read Down the River in full?

How is Down the River divided for reading?

Can I hear Down the River read aloud?

Questions about reading Down the River

How to read Down the River section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Down the River