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Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.
It is a Grecian building of white stone.
About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.
The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.
Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich is here in full — 411 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.
/ˌɑːrˈkeɪdiən ædˈventʃərz wɪð ðə ˈaɪdəl rɪtʃ ðə ˌmɔːsəˈliːəm klʌb stændz ɑːn ðə ˈkwaɪətəst ˈkɔːrnər ʌv ðə best ˌrezɪˈdenʃəl striːt ɪn ðə ˈsɪti/
Line 2
It is a Grecian building of white stone.
/ɪt ɪz ə ˈɡriːʃən ˈbɪldɪŋ ʌv waɪt stoʊn/
Line 3
About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.
Line 4
The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.
/ðə striːt ɪn ðə ˈsɑːftər ˈaʊərz ʌv ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ hæz æn ˈɔːlmoʊst ˌrevərˈenʃəl ˈkwaɪət/
Line 5
Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

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.

Arcadian noun US /ˌɑːrˈkeɪdiən/

an inhabitant of Arcadia

From this reading “Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.”

chauffeurs noun US /ʃoʊˈfɜːrz/

plural of “chauffeur” — a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading “Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.”

downtown noun US /ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn/

the central area or commercial center of a town or city

From this reading “Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.”

Mausoleum noun US /ˌmɔːsəˈliːəm/

a large burial chamber, usually above ground

From this reading “Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.”

motors noun US /ˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “motor” — machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading “Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.”

quietest adjective US /ˈkwaɪətəst/

superlative of “quiet” — characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading “Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.”

residential adjective US /ˌrezɪˈdenʃəl/

used or designed for residence or limited to residences

From this reading “Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.”

reverential adjective US /ˌrevərˈenʃəl/

feeling or manifesting veneration

From this reading “The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

10.30

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

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

AdventuresnounUS /ædˈventʃərz/

plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

ArcadiannounUS /ˌɑːrˈkeɪdiən/

an inhabitant of Arcadia

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

branchesnounUS /ˈbræntʃəz/

plural of “branch” — a division of some larger or more complex organization

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

buildingnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋ/

a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

chauffeursnounUS /ʃoʊˈfɜːrz/

plural of “chauffeur” — a man paid to drive a privately owned car

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

ClubnounUS /klʌb/

a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

conveyingnounUS /kənˈveɪɪŋ/

act of transferring property title from one person to another

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

downtownnounUS /ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn/

the central area or commercial center of a town or city

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

drowsilyadverb

in a drowsy manner

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/

earlier in time; previously

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

elmnounUS /elm/

any of various trees of the genus Ulmus: important timber or shade trees

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

expensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspensɪv/

high in price or charging high prices

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

GrecianadjectiveUS /ˈɡriːʃən/

of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

IdleadjectiveUS /ˈaɪdəl/

not in action or at work

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

MausoleumnounUS /ˌmɔːsəˈliːəm/

a large burial chamber, usually above ground

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

millionairesnounUS /ˌmɪljəˈnerz/

plural of “millionaire” — a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

motorsnounUS /ˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “motor” — machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

moveverbUS /muːv/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

officesnounUS /ˈɔːfəsəz/

plural of “office” — place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

quietestadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪətəst/

superlative of “quiet” — characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

residentialadjectiveUS /ˌrezɪˈdenʃəl/

used or designed for residence or limited to residences

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

reverentialadjectiveUS /ˌrevərˈenʃəl/

feeling or manifesting veneration

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

RichadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

singingnounUS /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

softeradjectiveUS /ˈsɑːftər/

comparative of “soft” — yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading The street in the softer hours of the morning has an almost reverential quiet.

solitaryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləteri/

characterized by or preferring solitude

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Great motors move drowsily along it, with solitary chauffeurs returning at 10.30 after conveying the earlier of the millionaires to their downtown offices.

treesnounUS /triːz/

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading About it are great elm trees with birds--the most expensive kind of birds--singing in the branches.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading It is a Grecian building of white stone.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich The Mausoleum Club stands on the quietest corner of the best residential street in the City.

Chapter 1 of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich by Stephen Leacock holds 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich contain?

Chapter 1 holds 411 sentences of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich by Stephen Leacock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 411 sentences, grouped into 83 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 Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Common questions about reading Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich by Stephen Leacock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich?

Yes. All 3221 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4020 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4020, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 645 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich section by section

How to work through Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

Words and structures a reader meets early in Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Arcadian
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Adventures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mausoleum
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stands
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.