The Black Cross
The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs is available here as the complete text, split into 1053 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs. Complete source text from Project Gutenberg eBook #21259.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
The Black Cross
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 1043 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
- Chapter I Chapter 1
- Chapter II Chapter 2
- Chapter III Chapter 3
- Chapter IV Chapter 4
- Chapter V Chapter 5
- Chapter VI Chapter 6
- Chapter VII Chapter 7
- Chapter VIII Chapter 8
- Chapter IX Chapter 9
- Chapter X Chapter 10
- Chapter XI Chapter 11
- Chapter XII Chapter 12
- Chapter XIII Chapter 13
- Chapter XIV Chapter 14
- Chapter XV Chapter 15
- Chapter XVI Chapter 16
- Chapter XVII Chapter 17
- Chapter XVIII Chapter 18
- Chapter XIX Chapter 19
- Chapter XX Chapter 20
- Chapter XXI Chapter 21
- Chapter XXII Chapter 22
- Chapter XXIII Chapter 23
- Chapter XXIV Chapter 24
This edition of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #21259, divided into 24 chapters and 1053 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 The Black Cross in full?
The complete text of The Black Cross is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #21259 and divided into 1053 sections.
This page carries the whole of The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #21259, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 5261 sentences across 24 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 The Black Cross divided for reading?
The Black Cross is presented in 24 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting The Black Cross as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 1053 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 24 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 The Black Cross read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of The Black Cross can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of The Black Cross 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 The Black Cross
Common questions about reading The Black Cross by Olive M. (Olive Mary) Briggs on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of The Black Cross?
Yes. All 5261 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21259 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of The Black Cross is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #21259, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does The Black Cross take to read?
About 438 minutes of reading across 1053 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read The Black Cross section by section
How to work through The Black Cross section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Black Cross to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in The Black Cross
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Black Cross, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Night
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Petersburg
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Heavens
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Domes
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Black Cross; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.