Chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Tunnels is here in full — 340 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Tunnels is here in full — 340 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s. 6d. each. ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE. IN THE MIDDLE WATCH.
Chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Tunnels is here in full — 340 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/68 · 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.
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.”
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading “Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.”
a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
From this reading “ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE.”
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.”
walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.”
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading “6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.”
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.
In this reading “IN THE MIDDLE WATCH.”
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
(used in the plural) the stage of a theater
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
start firing a weapon
From this reading ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE.
a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
From this reading ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE.
past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE MIDDLE WATCH.
walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading IN THE MIDDLE WATCH.
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading 6d. each; post 8vo., illustrated boards, 2s. each; cloth limp, 2s.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ROUND THE GALLEY FIRE.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s.
look attentively
From this reading IN THE MIDDLE WATCH.
Chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Tunnels by William Clark Russell holds 340 sentences, grouped into 68 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 340 sentences of A Tale of Two Tunnels, unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Tale of Two Tunnels by William Clark Russell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 340 sentences, grouped into 68 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 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 68 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 Tale of Two Tunnels by William Clark Russell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2068 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #44590 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #44590, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 172 minutes of reading across 414 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Tale of Two Tunnels section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 6 chapters of A Tale of Two Tunnels 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 Tale of Two Tunnels, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
