Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Box and Cox is here in full — 534 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE MINOR DRAMA. No. XXI. BOX AND COX. _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT. BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
Box and Cox
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Box and Cox is here in full — 534 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
THE
MINOR
DRAMA.
No.
XXI.
BOX
AND
COX.
_A
Romance
of
Real
Life_
IN
ONE
ACT.
BY
JOHN
MADDISON
MORTON,
ESQ.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Box and Cox
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Box and Cox is here in full — 534 sentences across 107 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/106 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
THE
MINOR
DRAMA.
/ðə ˈmaɪnər ˈdrɑːmə/
Line 2
No.
XXI.
Line 3
BOX
AND
COX.
/bɑːks ənd kɑːks/
Line 4
_A
Romance
of
Real
Life_
IN
ONE
ACT.
/ə roʊˈmæns ʌv riːl laɪf ɪn wʌn ækt/
Line 5
BY
JOHN
MADDISON
MORTON,
ESQ.
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.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading “_A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.”
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading “BOX AND COX.”
cox
noun
US /kɑːks/
either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
From this reading “BOX AND COX.”
drama
noun
US /ˈdrɑːmə/
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading “THE MINOR DRAMA.”
minor
adjective
US /ˈmaɪnər/
of lesser importance or stature or rank
From this reading “THE MINOR DRAMA.”
morton
noun
US /ˈmɔːrtən/
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
From this reading “BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.”
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading “_A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.”
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading “_A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.”
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.
Real Life
adjective + noun
the practical world as opposed to the academic world
In this reading “_A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.”
All words in this reading · 21
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 _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BOX AND COX.
a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading BOX AND COX.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
COXnounUS /kɑːks/
either of two related enzymes that control the production of prostaglandins and are blocked by aspirin
From this reading BOX AND COX.
DRAMAnounUS /ˈdrɑːmə/
a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading THE MINOR DRAMA.
ESQnoun
a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name
From this reading BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
MADDISON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
MINORadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/
of lesser importance or stature or rank
From this reading THE MINOR DRAMA.
MORTONnounUS /ˈmɔːrtən/
United States jazz musician who moved from ragtime to New Orleans jazz (1885-1941)
From this reading BY JOHN MADDISON MORTON, ESQ.
not any; not one
From this reading No. XXI.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading _A Romance of Real Life_ IN ONE ACT.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE MINOR DRAMA.
XXInoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of twenty and one
From this reading No. XXI.
Chapter 1 of Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton holds 534 sentences, grouped into 107 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 Box and Cox contain?
Chapter 1 holds 534 sentences of Box and Cox, unabridged, divided into 107 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 534 sentences, grouped into 107 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 Box and Cox?
Work through the 107 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 107 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 Box and Cox
Common questions about reading Box and Cox by John Maddison Morton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Box and Cox?
Yes. All 1072 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42523 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Box and Cox is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #42523, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Box and Cox take to read?
About 89 minutes of reading across 215 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Box and Cox section by section
How to work through Box and Cox section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 2 chapters of Box and Cox to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Box and Cox
Words and structures a reader meets early in Box and Cox, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Minor
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Box and Cox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Drama
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Box and Cox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Romance
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Box and Cox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Maddison
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Box and Cox; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.