Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Moral Alphabet is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS. MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN). Demy 4to. 3s. 6d.
A Moral Alphabet
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Moral Alphabet is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
See
http://
BY
THE
SAME
AUTHORS.
MORE
BEASTS
(FOR
WORSE
CHILDREN).
Demy
4to.
3s.
6d.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
A Moral Alphabet
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Moral Alphabet is here in full — 195 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
See
http://
BY
THE
SAME
AUTHORS.
/siː ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː baɪ ðə seɪm ˈɔːθərz/
Line 2
MORE
BEASTS
(FOR
WORSE
CHILDREN).
/mɔːr biːsts fɔːr wɜːrs ˈtʃɪldrən/
Line 3
Demy
4to.
Line 4
3s.
Line 5
6d.
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.
authors
noun
US /ˈɔːθərz/
plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading “See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.”
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).”
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading “MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).”
http
noun
US /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/
a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers
From this reading “See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.”
Identical; not different.
From this reading “See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.”
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).”
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.
SAME AUTHORS
adjective + noun
counted as “same author”
In this reading “See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.”
All words in this reading · 18
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.
3
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 3s.
4
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Demy 4to.
6
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d.
AUTHORSnounUS /ˈɔːθərz/
plural of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
plural of “beast” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).
showing who or what does the action
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading 6d.
Demy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Demy 4to.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).
httpnounUS /ˌeɪtʃtiːtiːˈpiː/
a protocol (utilizing TCP) to transfer hypertext requests and information between servers and browsers
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading 3s.
Identical; not different.
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading See http:// BY THE SAME AUTHORS.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Demy 4to.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading MORE BEASTS (FOR WORSE CHILDREN).
Chapter 1 of A Moral Alphabet by Hilaire Belloc holds 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 Moral Alphabet contain?
Chapter 1 holds 195 sentences of A Moral Alphabet, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Moral Alphabet by Hilaire Belloc exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 195 sentences, grouped into 39 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 Moral Alphabet?
Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 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 Moral Alphabet
Common questions about reading A Moral Alphabet by Hilaire Belloc on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of A Moral Alphabet?
Yes. All 195 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #40134 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of A Moral Alphabet is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #40134, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does A Moral Alphabet take to read?
About 16 minutes of reading across 39 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read A Moral Alphabet section by section
How to work through A Moral Alphabet section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 1 chapters of A Moral Alphabet 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 A Moral Alphabet
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Moral Alphabet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Authors
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Moral Alphabet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Beasts
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Moral Alphabet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Worse
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Moral Alphabet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Children
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Moral Alphabet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.