Chapter 1 of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past. Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs! Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably. It was a comfortable day. Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
Chapter 1 of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! is here in full — 131 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/26 · 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.
a yard adjoining a barn
From this reading “Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.”
past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading “Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.”
the act of digging
From this reading “Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.”
possessive form of “earth” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading “Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!”
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.”
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading “Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.”
British art critic (1819-1900)
From this reading “Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.”
past form of “yawn” — utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading “Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.”
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.
In this reading “Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.”
move the upper body backwards and down
In this reading “Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a comfortable day.
possessing life
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
a yard adjoining a barn
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading It was a comfortable day.
in mental comfort; without stress
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
the act of digging
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
possessive form of “earth” — the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a comfortable day.
past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
a structure attached to the exterior of a building often forming a covered entrance
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
plural of “problem” — a state of difficulty that needs to be resolved
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
British art critic (1819-1900)
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
the season of growth
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Like the day Bigelow walked in and announced-- Earth's Gone To The Dogs!
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a comfortable day.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Ruskin didn't like archeologists; they were always digging up problems from the past.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Fifty yards away the barnyard was alive with Spring noises.
past form of “yawn” — utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading Ruskin leaned back and yawned--the porch chair creaked comfortably.
Chapter 1 of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! by William J. McClellan holds 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 131 sentences of Earth's Gone to the Dogs!, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! by William J. McClellan exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 131 sentences, grouped into 27 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 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 27 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 Earth's Gone to the Dogs! by William J. McClellan on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Earth's Gone to the Dogs! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Earth's Gone to the Dogs! 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 Earth's Gone to the Dogs!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
