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Caves of Terror
Caves of Terror

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Caves of Terror is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Caves of Terror
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.
You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.
He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.
That's Meldrum Strange.
When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.
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.

Caves of Terror

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Caves of Terror is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.
Line 2
You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.
Line 3
He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.
Line 4
That's Meldrum Strange.
Line 5
When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

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.

Honolulu noun US /ˌhɑːnəˈluːluː/

the capital and largest city of Hawaii; located on a large bay on the island of Oahu

From this reading “He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.”

Inc noun US /ɪŋk/

a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government

From this reading “Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.”

Publishing noun US /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading “Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.”

quarreling verb US /ˈkwɑːrəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “quarrel” — have a disagreement over something

From this reading “You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.”

ringer noun US /ˈrɪŋər/

a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation)

From this reading “He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.”

tact noun US /tækt/

consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense

From this reading “You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.”

Tibet noun US /təˈbet/

an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China; located in the Himalayas

From this reading “He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.”

vacation noun US /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading “When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

bossnounUS /bɑːs/

a person who exercises control over workers

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

ConounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

desk-bell

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

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/

-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

fineradjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnər/

(comparative of “fine”) greater in quality or excellence

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

Francisco

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

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

GardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

HonolulunounUS /ˌhɑːnəˈluːluː/

the capital and largest city of Hawaii; located on a large bay on the island of Oahu

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

IncnounUS /ɪŋk/

a heterogeneous collection of groups united in their opposition to Saddam Hussein's government of Iraq; formed in 1992 it is comprised of Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds who hope to build a new government

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

isn't

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

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

jumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/

move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

likesnounUS /laɪks/

plural of “like” — a similar kind

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

Meldrum

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

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

neednounUS /niːd/

a condition requiring relief

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

pastnounUS /pæst/

the time that has elapsed

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

PublishingnounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/

the business of issuing printed matter for sale or distribution

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

quarrelingverbUS /ˈkwɑːrəlɪŋ/

-ing form of “quarrel” — have a disagreement over something

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

ringernounUS /ˈrɪŋər/

a person who rings church bells (as for summoning the congregation)

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

San

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

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

StrangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

tactnounUS /tækt/

consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

That's

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

From this reading That's Meldrum Strange.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

TibetnounUS /təˈbet/

an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China; located in the Himalayas

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

Wei-hei-wei

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

From this reading He likes to put his ringer on a desk-bell and feel somebody jump in Tibet or Wei-hei-wei or Honolulu.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading When he sent me from San Francisco, where I was enjoying a vacation, to New York, where he was enjoying business, I took the first train.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading Garden City New York Garden City Publishing Co., Inc Meldrum Strange has "a way" with him.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You need all your tact to get him past the quarreling point; but once that point is left behind there isn't a finer business boss in the universe.

Chapter 1 of Caves of Terror by Talbot Mundy holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 Caves of Terror contain?

Chapter 1 holds 185 sentences of Caves of Terror, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Caves of Terror by Talbot Mundy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 Caves of Terror?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 Caves of Terror

Common questions about reading Caves of Terror by Talbot Mundy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Caves of Terror?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Caves of Terror is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Caves of Terror take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Caves of Terror section by section

How to work through Caves of Terror section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Caves of Terror 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 Caves of Terror

Words and structures a reader meets early in Caves of Terror, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Caves of Terror, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Caves of Terror, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Caves of Terror, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.