Chapter 1 of Following the Equator is here in full — 601 sentences across 121 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Following the Equator is here in full — 601 sentences across 121 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.' And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?' And it was just so. I declare for it, I had forgotten it. 'Then,' said I, 'we'll go afoot.'
Chapter 1 of Following the Equator is here in full — 601 sentences across 121 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 61/120 · 5 reading units · Lines 301–305
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.
on foot; walking
From this reading “'Then,' said I, 'we'll go afoot.'”
state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading “I declare for it, I had forgotten it.”
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading “And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'”
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
free from harm or evil
From this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
arrange the outcome of by means of deceit
From this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading “And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'”
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
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.
a hired laborer on a farm or ranch
In this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
erect or construct, especially as a temporary measure
In this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
In this reading “'Then,' said I, 'we'll go afoot.'”
In this reading “Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'”
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.
on foot; walking
From this reading 'Then,' said I, 'we'll go afoot.'
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
state emphatically and authoritatively
From this reading I declare for it, I had forgotten it.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I declare for it, I had forgotten it.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading I declare for it, I had forgotten it.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I declare for it, I had forgotten it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
having services engaged for a fee
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And it was just so.
and nothing more
From this reading And it was just so.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
above and across; more than
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
free from harm or evil
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
arrange the outcome of by means of deceit
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And it was just so.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
express in words
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
a special situation
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then the next thing I said was, 'Mary Taylor, tell the hired man to rig up the team-we'll go to the rescue.'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Then,' said I, 'we'll go afoot.'
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And she said, 'Mother, don't you know you told him he could drive to see his people, and stay over Sunday?'
Chapter 1 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain holds 601 sentences, grouped into 121 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 601 sentences of Following the Equator, unabridged, divided into 121 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 601 sentences, grouped into 121 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 121 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 121 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 Following the Equator by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2895 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #2895, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1833 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Following the Equator section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 20 chapters of Following the Equator 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 Following the Equator, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
