Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Christmas Entertainments is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
10. Shake heads sadly. 11. Look down as if searching for flowers. 12.
Christmas Entertainments
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Christmas Entertainments is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
10.
Shake
heads
sadly.
11.
Look
down
as
if
searching
for
flowers.
12.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Christmas Entertainments
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Christmas Entertainments is here in full — 386 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 50/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 246–250
Line 1
10.
Line 2
Shake
heads
sadly.
/ʃeɪk hedz ˈsædli/
Line 3
11.
Line 4
Look
down
as
if
searching
for
flowers.
/lʊk daʊn æz ɪf ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ fɔːr ˈflaʊərz/
Line 5
12.
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.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Look down as if searching for flowers.”
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading “Look down as if searching for flowers.”
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading “Shake heads sadly.”
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Look down as if searching for flowers.”
in an unfortunate way
From this reading “Shake heads sadly.”
diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation
From this reading “Look down as if searching for flowers.”
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading “Shake heads sadly.”
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.
Look down
verb + adjective
In this reading “Look down as if searching for flowers.”
All words in this reading · 13
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.
10
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 10.
11
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 11.
12
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 12.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
plural of “flower” — a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Shake heads sadly.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading Shake heads sadly.
diligent and thorough in inquiry or investigation
From this reading Look down as if searching for flowers.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading Shake heads sadly.
Chapter 1 of Christmas Entertainments by Alice Maude Kellogg holds 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 Christmas Entertainments contain?
Chapter 1 holds 386 sentences of Christmas Entertainments, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Christmas Entertainments by Alice Maude Kellogg exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 386 sentences, grouped into 78 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 Christmas Entertainments?
Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 78 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 Christmas Entertainments
Common questions about reading Christmas Entertainments by Alice Maude Kellogg on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Christmas Entertainments?
Yes. All 1949 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12974 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Christmas Entertainments is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #12974, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Christmas Entertainments take to read?
About 162 minutes of reading across 390 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Christmas Entertainments section by section
How to work through Christmas Entertainments section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
-
Open a chapter
Choose one of the 5 chapters of Christmas Entertainments 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 Christmas Entertainments
Words and structures a reader meets early in Christmas Entertainments, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Songs
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Entertainments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Tunes
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Entertainments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Santa
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Entertainments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Claus
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christmas Entertainments; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.