Chapter 1 of Bristol Bells is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Bristol Bells is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LONGING FOR FLIGHT. 'Grandfather! I want to speak to you; please listen.' 'Well, who said I would not listen? But speak up, Biddy.'
Chapter 1 of Bristol Bells is here in full — 172 sentences across 35 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/34 · 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.
adult female chicken
From this reading “But speak up, Biddy.'”
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading “LONGING FOR FLIGHT.”
the father of your father or mother
From this reading “'Grandfather!”
hear with intention
From this reading “I want to speak to you; please listen.'”
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading “LONGING FOR FLIGHT.”
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “I want to speak to you; please listen.'”
express in speech
From this reading “I want to speak to you; please listen.'”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “I want to speak to you; please listen.'”
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.
adult female chicken
From this reading But speak up, Biddy.'
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But speak up, Biddy.'
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading LONGING FOR FLIGHT.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading LONGING FOR FLIGHT.
the father of your father or mother
From this reading 'Grandfather!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
hear with intention
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
prolonged unfulfilled desire or need
From this reading LONGING FOR FLIGHT.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading 'Well, who said I would not listen?
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading 'Well, who said I would not listen?
express in speech
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But speak up, Biddy.'
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading 'Well, who said I would not listen?
which person or people
From this reading 'Well, who said I would not listen?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading 'Well, who said I would not listen?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I want to speak to you; please listen.'
Chapter 1 of Bristol Bells by Emma Marshall holds 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 172 sentences of Bristol Bells, unabridged, divided into 35 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Bristol Bells by Emma Marshall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 172 sentences, grouped into 35 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 35 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 35 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 Bristol Bells by Emma Marshall on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2568 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #25026 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #25026, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 214 minutes of reading across 514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Bristol Bells section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of Bristol Bells 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 Bristol Bells, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
