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Before Adam

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Before Adam is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Jack London • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Before Adam

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

It was unexpected.

As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

I stood still for some time.

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 XVI Reading 1/39

Before Adam

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Before Adam is here in full — 197 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

Line 2

It was unexpected.

Line 3

As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

Line 4

There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

Line 5

I stood still for some time.

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.

Stood verb US /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading “I stood still for some time.”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

a

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

and

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

As

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

at

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

back

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

blueberry

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

built

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

came

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

down

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

familiar

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

first

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

for

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

From this reading I stood still for some time.

forth

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

found

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

had

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

heard

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

her

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

I

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

in

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

It

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

From this reading It was unexpected.

legs

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

limb

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

lived

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

looked

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

Lop-Ear

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

me

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

mother

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

my

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

near

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

neighborhood

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

old

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

on

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

One

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

our

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

she

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

sitting

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

soft

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

some

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

From this reading I stood still for some time.

sound

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

still

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

From this reading I stood still for some time.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading I stood still for some time.

swamp

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

Swift

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

swinging

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

the

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

There

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

From this reading There she was, the Swift One, sitting on a limb and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked at me.

time

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

From this reading I stood still for some time.

tree

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

tree-shelter

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

under

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

unexpected

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

From this reading It was unexpected.

up

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

From this reading As I came under the tree I heard the familiar soft sound and looked up.

was

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

From this reading It was unexpected.

where

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

From this reading I found her down in the old neighborhood near the blueberry swamp, where my mother lived and where Lop-Ear and I had built our first tree-shelter.

Chapter 16 of Before Adam by Jack London holds 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 of Before Adam contain?

Chapter 16 holds 197 sentences of Before Adam, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Before Adam by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 197 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 of Before Adam?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 18 chapters of Before Adam 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 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.