Chapter 1 of Course of Empire is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Chapter 1 of Course of Empire by Richard Wilson holds 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 107 sentences of Course of Empire, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Course of Empire by Richard Wilson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 107 sentences, grouped into 22 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 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 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 Course of Empire by Richard Wilson on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 107 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #67334 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #67334, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 8 minutes of reading across 22 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Course of Empire section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of Course of Empire 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 Course of Empire, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Course of Empire is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue! The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard. The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze. The younger man sprawled next to him. "Cigarette?" he asked.
Chapter 1 of Course of Empire is here in full — 107 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 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, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Every word is available to listen to. 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 The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Cigarette?" he asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Cigarette?" he asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Cigarette?" he asked.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The younger man sprawled next to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The younger man sprawled next to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The younger man sprawled next to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The older man sat down on the grassy bank on the hill overlooking the orchard.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The younger man sprawled next to him.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The autumn sun was bright but the humidity was low and there was a breeze.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Mars' sands are red; Earth's face is too: We were too green, And now we're blue!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The younger man sprawled next to him.
