Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Before Adam
Before Adam

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Before Adam is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Before Adam
Context Illustration Reading 1/27 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Lop-Ear got married.
It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.
He gave me no warning.
The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.
I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Before Adam

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Before Adam is here in full — 138 sentences across 28 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/27 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Lop-Ear got married.
Line 2
It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.
Line 3
He gave me no warning.
Line 4
The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.
Line 5
I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

All words in this reading · 34

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.

adventure-journey

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

after

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

and

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

cave

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

cliff

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

climbed

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

entrance

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

From this reading I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

first

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

gave

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

From this reading He gave me no warning.

got

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

From this reading Lop-Ear got married.

He

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

From this reading He gave me no warning.

I

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

into

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

From this reading I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

It

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

knew

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

Lop-Ear

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

From this reading Lop-Ear got married.

married

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

From this reading Lop-Ear got married.

me

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

From this reading He gave me no warning.

most

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

no

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

From this reading He gave me no warning.

one

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

our

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

second

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

squeezed

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

From this reading I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

stopped

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

From this reading I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

the

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

there

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

From this reading I squeezed into the entrance and there I stopped.

to

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

twilight

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

unexpected

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

warning

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

From this reading He gave me no warning.

was

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

when

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

From this reading The first I knew was one twilight when I climbed the cliff to our cave.

winter

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

From this reading It was the second winter after our adventure-journey, and it was most unexpected.

Chapter 15 of Before Adam by Jack London holds 138 sentences, grouped into 28 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 15 of Before Adam contain?

Chapter 15 holds 138 sentences of Before Adam, unabridged, divided into 28 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Before Adam by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 138 sentences, grouped into 28 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 15 of Before Adam?

Work through the 28 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 28 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Before Adam

Common questions about reading Before Adam by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Before Adam?

Yes. All 2488 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #310 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Before Adam is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #310, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Before Adam take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 498 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Before Adam section by section

How to work through Before Adam section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Before Adam 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 Before Adam

Words and structures a reader meets early in Before Adam, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Pictures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Often
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Learned
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wonder
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Before Adam; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.