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Christopher and Columbus
Christopher and Columbus

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christopher and Columbus is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Christopher and Columbus
Context Illustration Reading 1/36 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.
He didn't like foreigners, and said so.
He never had liked them and had always said so.
It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.
But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Christopher and Columbus

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Christopher and Columbus is here in full — 183 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/36 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.
Line 2
He didn't like foreigners, and said so.
Line 3
He never had liked them and had always said so.
/hiː ˈnevər hæd laɪkt ðem ənd hæd ˈɔːlweɪz sed soʊ/
Line 4
It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.
Line 5
But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

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.

blighted adjective US /ˈblaɪtɪd/

affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

countries noun US /ˈkʌntriz/

plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

foreigners noun US /ˈfɔːrənərz/

plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

From this reading “He didn't like foreigners, and said so.”

indigenous adjective US /ˌɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/

originating where it is found

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

minded adjective US /ˈmaɪndəd/

(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

neutral adjective US /ˈnuːtrəl/

having no personal preference

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

nieces noun US /ˈniːsɪz/

plural of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

nuisance noun US /ˈnuːsəns/

(law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive

From this reading “But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.”

All words in this reading · 62

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 But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

Alice

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

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

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 It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He never had liked them and had always said so.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

ArthurnounUS /ˈɑːrθər/

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.

AuntnounUS /ænt/

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

becameverbUS /bɪˈkeɪm/

inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

blightedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪtɪd/

affected by blight; anything that mars or prevents growth or prosperity

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/

plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

didn't

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

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

foreignersnounUS /ˈfɔːrənərz/

plural of “foreigner” — a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He never had liked them and had always said so.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

indigenousadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdɪdʒənəs/

originating where it is found

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.

ItaliannounUS /ˌɪˈtæljən/

a native or inhabitant of Italy

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

likedadjectiveUS /laɪkt/

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading He never had liked them and had always said so.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

mindedadjectiveUS /ˈmaɪndəd/

(used in combination) mentally oriented toward something specified

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

neutraladjectiveUS /ˈnuːtrəl/

having no personal preference

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He never had liked them and had always said so.

niecesnounUS /ˈniːsɪz/

plural of “niece” — a daughter of your brother or sister

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

nuisancenounUS /ˈnuːsəns/

(law) a broad legal concept including anything that disturbs the reasonable use of your property or endangers life and health or is offensive

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

pointedadjectiveUS /ˈpɔɪntɪd/

having a point

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

RussiannounUS /ˈrʌʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Russia

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He didn't like foreigners, and said so.

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He never had liked them and had always said so.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

UnclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/

the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Uncle Arthur was the husband of Aunt Alice.

wasn't

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

From this reading It wasn't the war at all, it was the foreigners.

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading But as the war went on, and these German nieces of his wife became more and more, as he told her, a blighted nuisance, so did he become more and more pointed, and said he didn't mind French foreigners, nor Russian foreigners; and a few weeks later, that it wasn't Italian foreigners either that he minded; and still later, that nor was it foreigners indigenous to the soil of countries called neutral.

Chapter 1 of Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth Von Arnim holds 183 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 Christopher and Columbus contain?

Chapter 1 holds 183 sentences of Christopher and Columbus, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth Von Arnim exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 183 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 Christopher and Columbus?

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 Christopher and Columbus

Common questions about reading Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth Von Arnim on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Christopher and Columbus?

Yes. All 6102 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14646 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Christopher and Columbus is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #14646, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Christopher and Columbus take to read?

About 508 minutes of reading across 1221 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through Christopher and Columbus section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Christopher and Columbus

Words and structures a reader meets early in Christopher and Columbus, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christopher and Columbus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arthur
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christopher and Columbus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Husband
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christopher and Columbus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Christopher and Columbus; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.