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Facing the Flag
Facing the Flag

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Facing the Flag is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Facing the Flag
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HEALTHFUL HOUSE.
The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:
COUNT D'ARTIGAS.
Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:
"On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."
0:00 / 0:00
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Facing the Flag

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Facing the Flag is here in full — 122 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HEALTHFUL HOUSE.
/ˈhelθfəl haʊs/
Line 2
The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:
Line 3
COUNT D'ARTIGAS.
Line 4
Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:
/bɪˈloʊ ðɪs neɪm ɪn ə ˈkɔːrnər ʌv ðə kɑːrd ðə ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ ˈædres wɑːz ˈrɪtən ɪn led ˈpensəl/
Line 5
"On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

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.

anchored verb US /ˈæŋkərd/

past form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably

From this reading “"On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."”

carte noun US /kɑːrt/

a list of dishes available at a restaurant

coronet noun US /ˈkɔːrəˈnet/

a small crown; usually indicates a high rank but below that of sovereign

From this reading “The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:”

director noun US /dərˈektər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading “The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:”

healthful adjective US /ˈhelθfəl/

conducive to good health of body or mind

From this reading “HEALTHFUL HOUSE.”

neat adjective US /niːt/

clean or organized

From this reading “The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:”

pencil noun US /ˈpensəl/

a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood

From this reading “Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:”

schooner noun US /ˈskuːnər/

a large beer glass

From this reading “"On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."”

All words in this reading · 50

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.

15

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

189

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

addressverbUS /ˈædres/

speak to

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

anchoredverbUS /ˈæŋkərd/

past form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

BelowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

boreverbUS /bɔːr/

cause to be bored

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

cardnounUS /kɑːrd/

one of a set of small pieces of stiff paper marked in various ways and used for playing games or for telling fortunes

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

cartenounUS /kɑːrt/

a list of dishes available at a restaurant

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

coronetnounUS /ˈkɔːrəˈnet/

a small crown; usually indicates a high rank but below that of sovereign

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

COUNTverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading COUNT D'ARTIGAS.

D'ARTIGAS

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

From this reading COUNT D'ARTIGAS.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

directornounUS /dərˈektər/

someone who controls resources and expenditures

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

Ebba

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

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

escutcheonnoun

a flat protective covering (on a door or wall etc) to prevent soiling by dirty fingers

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

establishmentnounUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt/

the act of forming or establishing something

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

HEALTHFULadjectiveUS /ˈhelθfəl/

conducive to good health of body or mind

From this reading HEALTHFUL HOUSE.

HOUSEnounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading HEALTHFUL HOUSE.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

JunenounUS /dʒuːn/

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

leadverbUS /led/

take somebody somewhere

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

neatadjectiveUS /niːt/

clean or organized

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

New-Berne

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

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

Pamliconoun

a member of the Algonquian people formerly of the Pamlico river valley in North Carolina

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

pencilnounUS /ˈpensəl/

a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/

a large beer glass

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

SoundnounUS /saʊnd/

the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause

From this reading "On board the schooner _Ebba_, anchored off New-Berne, Pamlico Sound."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

visite

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading The _carte de visite_ received that day, June 15, 189-, by the director of the establishment of Healthful House was a very neat one, and simply bore, without escutcheon or coronet, the name:

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Below this name, in a corner of the card, the following address was written in lead pencil:

Chapter 1 of Facing the Flag by Jules Verne holds 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 Facing the Flag contain?

Chapter 1 holds 122 sentences of Facing the Flag, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Facing the Flag by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 122 sentences, grouped into 25 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 Facing the Flag?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 Facing the Flag

Common questions about reading Facing the Flag by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Facing the Flag?

Yes. All 3063 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11556 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Facing the Flag is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11556, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Facing the Flag take to read?

About 255 minutes of reading across 613 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Facing the Flag section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Facing the Flag 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 Facing the Flag

Words and structures a reader meets early in Facing the Flag, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Healthful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Facing the Flag; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Facing the Flag; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Carte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Facing the Flag; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Visite
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Facing the Flag; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.