Chapter 1 of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Sorry, son. There are no jobs open. Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.” Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat. “Well, thanks anyway.”
Chapter 1 of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 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.
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
plural of “job” — the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading “There are no jobs open.”
a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
United States poet (1849-1916)
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
an orderly pile
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
thick woolen fabric used for clothing; originated in Scotland
From this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
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.
the newspaper editor in charge of editing local news
In this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
In this reading “Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.”
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 Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading “Well, thanks anyway.”
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There are no jobs open.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
equipment for taking photographs (usually consisting of a lightproof box with a lens at one end and light-sensitive film at the other)
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
one or the other of two
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
United States anatomist who identified four pituitary hormones and discovered vitamin E (1882-1971)
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
plural of “job” — the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading There are no jobs open.
a record in which commercial accounts are recorded
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
painting or drawing included in a book (especially in illuminated medieval manuscripts)
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
not any; not one
From this reading There are no jobs open.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading There are no jobs open.
a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
plural of “print” — the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
United States poet (1849-1916)
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
showing signs of wear and tear
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
past form of “shove” — come into rough contact with while moving
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
a male human offspring
From this reading “Sorry, son.
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “Sorry, son.
directly and without evasion; not roundabout
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
an orderly pile
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading “Well, thanks anyway.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There are no jobs open.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
male cat
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
in the direction of
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
thick woolen fabric used for clothing; originated in Scotland
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
the act of using
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Afraid we can’t use these pictures, either.”
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading “Well, thanks anyway.”
a Caucasian
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
which person or people
From this reading Tom Riley, city editor of The _Brandale Ledger_ shoved the stack of glossy black and white prints across the desk toward Jimmy Evans who faced him squarely, a miniature camera protruding from the pocket of his shabby tweed overcoat.
Chapter 1 of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery by Frank Bell holds 185 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.
Chapter 1 holds 185 sentences of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery by Frank Bell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 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.
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.
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 Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery by Frank Bell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3788 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55693 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #55693, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 315 minutes of reading across 758 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery 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 Flash Evans and the Darkroom Mystery, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
