Chapter I
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fern Vale is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER. A NOVEL. BY COLIN MUNRO. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL I.
Fern Vale
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fern Vale is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
FERN
VALE
OR
THE
QUEENSLAND
SQUATTER.
A
NOVEL.
BY
COLIN
MUNRO.
IN
THREE
VOLUMES.
VOL
I.
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Fern Vale
Chapter I · Chapter 1
Chapter 1 of Fern Vale is here in full — 55 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
FERN
VALE
OR
THE
QUEENSLAND
SQUATTER.
/fɜːrn veɪl ɔːr ðə ˈkwiːnzlænd ˈskwɑːtər/
Line 2
A
NOVEL.
/ə ˈnɑːvəl/
Line 3
BY
COLIN
MUNRO.
Line 4
IN
THREE
VOLUMES.
/ɪn θriː ˈvɑːljuːmz/
Line 5
VOL
I.
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.
fern
noun
US /fɜːrn/
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading “FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.”
munro
noun
US /mənˈroʊ/
British writer of short stories (1870-1916)
From this reading “BY COLIN MUNRO.”
novel
noun
US /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading “A NOVEL.”
queensland
noun
US /ˈkwiːnzlænd/
a state in northeastern Australia
From this reading “FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.”
squatter
noun
US /ˈskwɑːtər/
someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
From this reading “FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “IN THREE VOLUMES.”
vale
noun
US /veɪl/
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading “FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.”
volumes
noun
US /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “IN THREE VOLUMES.”
All words in this reading · 16
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 A NOVEL.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading BY COLIN MUNRO.
COLIN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading BY COLIN MUNRO.
FERNnounUS /fɜːrn/
any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading VOL I.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THREE VOLUMES.
MUNROnounUS /mənˈroʊ/
British writer of short stories (1870-1916)
From this reading BY COLIN MUNRO.
NOVELnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading A NOVEL.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
QUEENSLANDnounUS /ˈkwiːnzlænd/
a state in northeastern Australia
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
SQUATTERnounUS /ˈskwɑːtər/
someone who settles lawfully on government land with the intent to acquire title to it
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading IN THREE VOLUMES.
VALEnounUS /veɪl/
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading FERN VALE OR THE QUEENSLAND SQUATTER.
VOL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOL I.
VOLUMESnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading IN THREE VOLUMES.
Chapter 1 of Fern Vale by Colin Munro holds 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 Fern Vale contain?
Chapter 1 holds 55 sentences of Fern Vale, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Fern Vale by Colin Munro exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 55 sentences, grouped into 11 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 Fern Vale?
Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 11 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 Fern Vale
Common questions about reading Fern Vale by Colin Munro on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Fern Vale?
Yes. All 1624 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27169 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Fern Vale is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #27169, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Fern Vale take to read?
About 135 minutes of reading across 325 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Fern Vale section by section
How to work through Fern Vale section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 15 chapters of Fern Vale to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Fern Vale
Words and structures a reader meets early in Fern Vale, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Queensland
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fern Vale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Squatter
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fern Vale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Novel
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fern Vale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Colin
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Fern Vale; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.