Chapter 1 of A trick of the mind is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A trick of the mind is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_The average person uses about ten percent of his mind. The rest lies dormant. But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action. This posed an interesting question. Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
Chapter 1 of A trick of the mind is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/32 · 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.
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading “_The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.”
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading “Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.”
in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
From this reading “The rest lies dormant.”
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
From this reading “Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.”
a proportion in relation to a whole (which is usually the amount per hundred)
From this reading “_The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.”
arranged for pictorial purposes
From this reading “This posed an interesting question.”
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.”
plural of “use” — the act of using
From this reading “_The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.”
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.
be inactive, as if asleep
In this reading “The rest lies dormant.”
In this reading “_The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.”
to come or go into
In this reading “But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.”
In this reading “But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.”
In this reading “Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.”
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 before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading This posed an interesting question.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation
From this reading The rest lies dormant.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading This posed an interesting question.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading The rest lies dormant.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
a proportion in relation to a whole (which is usually the amount per hundred)
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
a human being
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
arranged for pictorial purposes
From this reading This posed an interesting question.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading This posed an interesting question.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The rest lies dormant.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This posed an interesting question.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
plural of “use” — the act of using
From this reading _The average person uses about ten percent of his mind.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
at the time that
From this reading Can a man think his way out of jail?_ Paul Donovan was sitting at a bar when he learned the trick.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading But Donovan's whole brain suddenly went into action.
Chapter 1 of A trick of the mind by William P. Salton holds 160 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.
Chapter 1 holds 160 sentences of A trick of the mind, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A trick of the mind by William P. Salton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 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.
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.
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 trick of the mind by William P. Salton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
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Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A trick of the mind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of A trick of the mind 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 trick of the mind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
