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A Day at the County Fair
A Day at the County Fair

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Day at the County Fair is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Day at the County Fair
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.
The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.
"Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"
Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.
"There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.
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 Day at the County Fair

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of A Day at the County Fair is here in full — 48 sentences across 10 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.
Line 2
The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.
Line 3
"Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"
Line 4
Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.
/ˈmeri liː ɡeɪv ðə swɪŋ wʌn mɔːr pʊʃ/
Line 5
"There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

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.

Beth's noun US /beθs/

possessive form of “beth” — the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet

From this reading “Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.”

Birthday noun US /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading “Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.”

harder adverb US /ˈhɑːrdər/

comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor

From this reading “The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.”

Jerry noun US /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading “The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.”

Lee noun US /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading “Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.”

push verb US /pʊʃ/

move with force

From this reading “The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.”

swing verb US /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading “Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.”

tops adjective US /tɑːps/

of the highest quality

From this reading “The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

12th

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

201

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

213

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

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 "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

Beth'snounUS /beθs/

possessive form of “beth” — the 2nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

BirthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

BooknounUS /bʊk/

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

CountynounUS /ˈkaʊnti/

(United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

DaynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

Don't

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

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

EastnounUS /iːst/

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

Etc

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

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

FairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

flyverbUS /flaɪ/

travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

GardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

Geraldine

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

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

Geraldine's

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

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

harderadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdər/

comparative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

JerrynounUS /ˈdʒeri/

offensive term for a person of German descent

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

LeenounUS /liː/

United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957)

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

PartynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

pushverbUS /pʊʃ/

move with force

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

SurprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

swingverbUS /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Mary Lee gave the swing one more push.

that's

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

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Author of "Beth's Garden Party," "Geraldine's Birthday Surprise," "A Day at the County Fair," Etc.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/

of the highest quality

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

treenounUS /triː/

a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

WhitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading "There!" she exclaimed, "that's the best I can do, Geraldine White.

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 The New York Book Co. 201-213 East 12th Street New York "Oh, push it harder, much harder, so I can go away up to the tree tops," cried Jerry.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Don't you just love to fly through the air this way?"

Chapter 1 of A Day at the County Fair by Alice Hale Burnett holds 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 Day at the County Fair contain?

Chapter 1 holds 48 sentences of A Day at the County Fair, unabridged, divided into 10 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Day at the County Fair by Alice Hale Burnett exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 48 sentences, grouped into 10 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 Day at the County Fair?

Work through the 10 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 10 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 Day at the County Fair

Common questions about reading A Day at the County Fair by Alice Hale Burnett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Day at the County Fair?

Yes. All 431 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #23999 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Day at the County Fair is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #23999, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Day at the County Fair take to read?

About 35 minutes of reading across 87 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Day at the County Fair section by section

How to work through A Day at the County Fair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of A Day at the County Fair 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 Day at the County Fair

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Day at the County Fair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Day at the County Fair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beth's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Day at the County Fair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Garden
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Day at the County Fair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Party
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Day at the County Fair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.