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A dangerous friend
A dangerous friend

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A dangerous friend is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Emma Leslie • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A dangerous friend
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Tom's Three Months in London.
Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.
LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.
BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.
"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.
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.

A dangerous friend

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A dangerous friend is here in full — 159 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Tom's Three Months in London.
/tɑːmz θriː mʌnθs ɪn ˈlʌndən/
Line 2
Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.
Line 3
LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.
Line 4
BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.
Line 5
"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.
/ə ˈletər frʌm ˈʌŋkəl dʒɔːrdʒ ənd ðə ˈspiːkər ə bɔɪ əˈbaʊt ˈfɔːrˈtiːn ræn ʌp ðə ˈɡɑːrdən pæθ ˈʃaʊtɪŋ ðə nuːz æz hiː keɪm/

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.

butler noun US /ˈbʌtlər/

a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table

From this reading “BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fourteen noun US /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading “"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Greenwich noun US /ˈɡrenɪtʃ/

a borough of Greater London on the Thames; zero degrees of longitude runs through Greenwich; time is measured relative to Greenwich Mean Time

From this reading “Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
printing noun US /ˈprɪntɪŋ/

text handwritten in the style of printed matter

From this reading “BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Runes noun US /ruːnz/

plural of “rune” — any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages

From this reading “Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speaker noun US /ˈspiːkər/

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading “"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tanner noun US /ˈtænər/

a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970

From this reading “BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tom's noun US /tɑːmz/

possessive form of “tom” — male cat

From this reading “Tom's Three Months in London.”

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.

Three Months noun + noun counted as “three month”

In this reading “Tom's Three Months in London.”

15,217 times in 225,867 chapters
garden path noun + noun

In this reading “"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.”

939 times in 225,867 chapters
about fourteen preposition + noun

In this reading “"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.”

919 times in 225,867 chapters
ran up verb + adjective counted as “run up”

pile up (debts or scores)

In this reading “"A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.”

16,488 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 49

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.

57

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

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

Pending verification
59

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

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BUTLERnounUS /ˈbʌtlər/

a manservant (usually the head servant of a household) who has charge of wines and the table

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnounUS /iː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for normal reproduction; an important antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals in the body

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
etc

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

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

Pending verification
fourteennounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
FROME

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

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

Pending verification
gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GreenwichnounUS /ˈɡrenɪtʃ/

a borough of Greater London on the Thames; zero degrees of longitude runs through Greenwich; time is measured relative to Greenwich Mean Time

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HeronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HILLnounUS /hɪl/

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Tom's Three Months in London.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
LETTERnounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading Tom's Three Months in London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LUDGATE

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

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

Pending verification
MagicnounUS /ˈmædʒɪk/

any art that invokes supernatural powers

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MakingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MonthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading Tom's Three Months in London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
pathnounUS /pæθ/

a course of conduct

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PridenounUS /praɪd/

a feeling of self-respect and personal worth

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRINTINGnounUS /ˈprɪntɪŋ/

text handwritten in the style of printed matter

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RunesnounUS /ruːnz/

plural of “rune” — any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SCHOOLnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SELWOOD

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

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

Pending verification
shoutingnounUS /ˈʃaʊtɪŋ/

encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakernounUS /ˈspiːkər/

someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SUNDAYnounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
TANNERnounUS /ˈtænər/

a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "The Magic Runes," "The Making of a Hero," "The Pride of Greenwich," etc., etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Tom's Three Months in London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Tom'snounUS /tɑːmz/

possessive form of “tom” — male cat

From this reading Tom's Three Months in London.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
UNIONnounUS /ˈjuːnjən/

an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

From this reading LONDON: THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 57 AND 59, LUDGATE HILL, E.C.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading "A LETTER from Uncle George," and the speaker, a boy about fourteen, ran up the garden path, shouting the news as he came.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WORKSnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading BUTLER & TANNER THE SELWOOD PRINTING WORKS FROME, AND LONDON.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of A dangerous friend by Emma Leslie holds 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 1 of A dangerous friend contain?

Chapter 1 holds 159 sentences of A dangerous friend, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A dangerous friend by Emma Leslie exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 159 sentences, grouped into 32 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 1 of A dangerous friend?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 A dangerous friend

Common questions about reading A dangerous friend by Emma Leslie on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A dangerous friend?

Yes. All 1136 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #74683 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A dangerous friend is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #74683, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A dangerous friend take to read?

About 94 minutes of reading across 228 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A dangerous friend section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of A dangerous friend 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 A dangerous friend

Words and structures a reader meets early in A dangerous friend, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Tom's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A dangerous friend; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A dangerous friend; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Months
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A dangerous friend; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A dangerous friend; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.