Chapter 1 of Barks and Purrs is here in full — 497 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Barks and Purrs is here in full — 497 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_There are moments when one seems to come to life. One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades. The thing says: bow-wow. It is a dog. One looks again.
Chapter 1 of Barks and Purrs is here in full — 497 sentences across 100 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/99 · 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.
the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
third-person singular of “distinguish” — mark as different
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading “It is a dog.”
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading “_There are moments when one seems to come to life.”
third-person singular of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
plural of “spade” — a playing card in the major suit that has one or more black figures on it
From this reading “One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.”
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 One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
anew
From this reading One looks again.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
the bark of a dog
From this reading The thing says: bow-wow.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
third-person singular of “distinguish” — mark as different
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading It is a dog.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is a dog.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is a dog.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
third-person singular of “resemble” — appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
plural of “say” — the chance to speak
From this reading The thing says: bow-wow.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
plural of “spade” — a playing card in the major suit that has one or more black figures on it
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
in or at that place or location
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
a special situation
From this reading The thing says: bow-wow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
at the time that
From this reading _There are moments when one seems to come to life.
belonging to which person
From this reading One looks about and distinguishes a creature whose foot-print closely resembles the ace of spades.
Chapter 1 of Barks and Purrs by Colette holds 497 sentences, grouped into 100 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 497 sentences of Barks and Purrs, unabridged, divided into 100 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Barks and Purrs by Colette exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 497 sentences, grouped into 100 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 100 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 100 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 Barks and Purrs by Colette on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1490 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11737 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #11737, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 124 minutes of reading across 298 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Barks and Purrs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 3 chapters of Barks and Purrs 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 Barks and Purrs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
