Chapter 1 of A Great Emergency and Other Tales is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Great Emergency and Other Tales is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK. We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil. The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them. It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events. Rupert prepared us.
Chapter 1 of A Great Emergency and Other Tales is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.”
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading “The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.”
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading “The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.”
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading “RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.”
plural of “lecture” — a speech that is open to the public
From this reading “RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.”
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading “It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.”
causing or tending to cause anger or resentment
From this reading “It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.”
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading “RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.”
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.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
for the reason that
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
set up or found
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
plural of “lecture” — a speech that is open to the public
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
and nothing more
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
causing or tending to cause anger or resentment
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
English leader (born in Germany) of the Royalist forces during the English Civil War (1619-1682)
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
a special situation
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Rupert prepared us.
precisely as stated
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It was particularly provoking, because we were so well prepared for events—any events.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were very happy—I, Rupert, Henrietta, and Baby Cecil.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The only thing we found fault with in our lives was that there were so few events in them.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading RUPERT'S LECTURES—THE OLD YELLOW LEATHER BOOK.
Chapter 1 of A Great Emergency and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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.
Chapter 1 holds 79 sentences of A Great Emergency and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Great Emergency and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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.
Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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.
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.
Common questions about reading A Great Emergency and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3069 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17069 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17069, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 255 minutes of reading across 614 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Great Emergency and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 27 chapters of A Great Emergency and Other Tales to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Great Emergency and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
