American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Nathaniel Parker Willis • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

In 1830, it supported one daily, two semi-weekly, and three weekly newspapers; and in the single year of 1826, (an age ago, by the Rochester reckoning,) it exported two hundred and two thousand nine hundred barrels of flour.

It seems to grow visibly before your eyes; the eternal hammering and clipping of bricks, and heaps of rubbish, remind the traveller so pertinaciously that it is in a state of transition only.

The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

Narrator

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.

Chapter IV Reading 1/79

American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) Nathaniel Parker Willis

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812. Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world. In 1830, it supported one daily, two semi-weekly, and three weekly newspapers; and in the single year of 1826, (an age ago, by the Rochester reckoning,) it exported two hundred and two thousand nine hundred barrels of flour. It seems to grow visibly before your eyes; the eternal hammering and clipping of bricks, and heaps of rubbish, remind the traveller so pertinaciously that it is in a state of transition only. The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 395 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

Line 2

Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

/naʊ ɪt kənˈteɪnz ˈnɪrli ˈtwenti ˈθaʊzənd ɪnˈhæbətənts ənd ɪz wʌn ʌv ðə moʊst ˈflɜːrɪʃɪŋ taʊnz ɪn ðə wɜːrld/

Line 3

Line 4

It seems to grow visibly before your eyes; the eternal hammering and clipping of bricks, and heaps of rubbish, remind the traveller so pertinaciously that it is in a state of transition only.

Line 5

The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

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.

bricks noun US /brɪks/

plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

From this reading “It seems to grow visibly before your eyes; the eternal hammering and clipping of bricks, and heaps of rubbish, remind the traveller so pertinaciously that it is in a state of transition only.”

clipping noun US /ˈklɪpɪŋ/

an excerpt cut from a newspaper or magazine

exported verb US /ɪkˈspɔːrtəd/

past form of “export” — sell or transfer abroad

From this reading “In 1830, it supported one daily, two semi-weekly, and three weekly newspapers; and in the single year of 1826, (an age ago, by the Rochester reckoning,) it exported two hundred and two thousand nine hundred barrels of flour.”

famed adjective US /feɪmd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.”

flourishing adjective US /ˈflɜːrɪʃɪŋ/

very lively and profitable

From this reading “Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.”

hammering noun US /ˈhæmərɪŋ/

the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

Rochester noun US /ˈrɑːtʃestər/

a city in western New York; a center of the photographic equipment industry

transition noun US /trænˈzɪʃən/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

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.

weekly newspapers noun + noun counted as “weekly newspaper”

In this reading “In 1830, it supported one daily, two semi-weekly, and three weekly newspapers; and in the single year of 1826, (an age ago, by the Rochester reckoning,) it exported two hundred and two thousand nine hundred barrels of flour.”

twenty thousand noun + noun

In this reading “Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.”

nine hundred noun + noun

thousand inhabitants noun + noun counted as “thousand inhabitant”

In this reading “Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.”

two hundred noun + noun

being ten more than one hundred ninety

most flourishing adverb + adjective

In this reading “Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.”

two thousand noun + noun

public spirit noun + noun

In this reading “The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.”

All words in this reading · 80

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.

1812

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

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

1826

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

From this reading In 1830, it supported one daily, two semi-weekly, and three weekly newspapers; and in the single year of 1826, (an age ago, by the Rochester reckoning,) it exported two hundred and two thousand nine hundred barrels of flour.

1830

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

agenounUS /eɪdʒ/

how long something has existed

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

barrelsnounUS /ˈbærəlz/

the amount that many barrels might hold

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It seems to grow visibly before your eyes; the eternal hammering and clipping of bricks, and heaps of rubbish, remind the traveller so pertinaciously that it is in a state of transition only.

bricksnounUS /brɪks/

plural of “brick” — rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln; used as a building or paving material

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

clippingnounUS /ˈklɪpɪŋ/

an excerpt cut from a newspaper or magazine

containsverbUS /kənˈteɪnz/

third-person singular of “contain” — include or contain; have as a component

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

dailyadverbUS /ˈdeɪli/

every day; without missing a day

enterprisenounUS /ˈentərpraɪz/

a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

eternaladjectiveUS /ɪˈtɜːrnəl/

continuing forever or indefinitely

excellentadjectiveUS /ˈeksələnt/

very good; of the highest quality

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

exportedverbUS /ɪkˈspɔːrtəd/

past form of “export” — sell or transfer abroad

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

FallsnounUS /fɔːlz/

the petals or sepals of a flower that bend downward (especially the outer perianth of an iris)

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

famedadjectiveUS /feɪmd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

flournounUS /ˈflaʊər/

fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain

flourishingadjectiveUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃɪŋ/

very lively and profitable

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

Genessee

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

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

growverbUS /ɡroʊ/

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

hammeringnounUS /ˈhæmərɪŋ/

the act of pounding (delivering repeated heavy blows)

heapsnounUS /hiːps/

a large number or amount

hospitalitynounUS /ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti/

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

hotelsnounUS /hoʊˈtelz/

plural of “hotel” — a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

inhabitantsnounUS /ɪnˈhæbətənts/

plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/

referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

newspapersnounUS /ˈnuːzpeɪpərz/

plural of “newspaper” — a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

ninenounUS /naɪn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eight and one

NowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

pertinaciouslyadverb

in a dogged and pertinacious manner

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

reckoningnounUS /ˈrekənɪŋ/

problem solving that involves numbers or quantities

remindverbUS /riˈmaɪnd/

put in the mind of someone

RochesternounUS /ˈrɑːtʃestər/

a city in western New York; a center of the photographic equipment industry

rubbishnounUS /ˈrʌbɪʃ/

worthless material that is to be disposed of

seemsverbUS /siːmz/

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

semi-weekly

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

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

supportedadjectiveUS /səˈpɔːrtɪd/

sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support)

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The hotels are excellent, and the inhabitants famed for their public spirit, hospitality, and enterprise—the latter, of course.

thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/

the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

townsnounUS /taʊnz/

plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

transitionnounUS /trænˈzɪʃən/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

travellernounUS /ˈtrævələr/

a person who changes location

twentynounUS /ˈtwenti/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

visiblyadverbUS /ˈvɪzəbli/

in a visible manner

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

weeklynounUS /ˈwiːkli/

a periodical that is published every week (or 52 issues per year)

wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/

(politics) a state of disfavor

From this reading The country about the Falls of the Genessee was a wilderness in 1812.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading Now it contains nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, and is one of the most flourishing towns in the world.

yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

Chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Nathaniel Parker Willis holds 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) contain?

Chapter 4 holds 395 sentences of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Nathaniel Parker Willis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 395 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Common questions about reading American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Nathaniel Parker Willis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)?

Yes. All 1995 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #49042 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #49042, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) take to read?

About 166 minutes of reading across 399 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) section by section

How to work through American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 5 chapters of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Words and structures a reader meets early in American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Illustrations: A word that appears in the opening chapter of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transatlantic: A word that appears in the opening chapter of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nature: A word that appears in the opening chapter of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wallis: A word that appears in the opening chapter of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter IV

What does chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) contain?

How do I study chapter 4 of American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)?

Can chapter 4 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)

How to read American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2) section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in American Scenery, Vol. 1 (of 2)