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Following the Equator
Following the Equator

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Following the Equator is here in full — 635 sentences across 127 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Following the Equator
Context Illustration Reading 1/127 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.
It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.
But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly secure the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Following the Equator

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Following the Equator is here in full — 635 sentences across 127 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/127 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
/ɡriːf kæn teɪk ker ʌv ˌɪtˈself bʌt tuː ɡet ðə fʊl ˈvæljuː ʌv ə dʒɔɪ juː mʌst hæv ˈsʌmbɑːdi tuː dɪˈvaɪd ɪt wɪð/
Line 2
Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Line 3
We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.
Line 4
It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.
/ɪt ɪz ðə ˈkʌstəm ʌv ðə ˈkʌntri tuː əˈvɔɪd deɪ ˈtrævəl wen ɪt kæn kənˈviːnjəntli biː dʌn/
Line 5
But there is one trouble: while you can seeminglysecurethe two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

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.

berths noun US /bɜːrθs/

plural of “berth” — a job in an organization

From this reading “But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.”

Bombay noun US /bɑːmˈbeɪ/

a city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea; India's 2nd largest city (after Calcutta); has the only natural deep-water harbor in western India

From this reading “We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.”

Calendar noun US /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”

challenged verb US /ˈtʃæləndʒd/

past form of “challenge” — take exception to

From this reading “But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.”

conveniently adverb US /kənˈviːnjəntli/

in a convenient manner

From this reading “It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.”

proprietorship noun US /prəˈpraɪətərʃɪp/

an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits

From this reading “But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.”

ticket noun US /ˈtɪkət/

a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)

From this reading “But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.”

Wilson's noun US /ˈwɪlsənz/

possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading “—Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.”

All words in this reading · 70

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

Allahabad

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

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

applicationnounUS /ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən/

the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

avoidverbUS /əˈvɔɪd/

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

berthsnounUS /bɜːrθs/

plural of “berth” — a job in an organization

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

BombaynounUS /bɑːmˈbeɪ/

a city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea; India's 2nd largest city (after Calcutta); has the only natural deep-water harbor in western India

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

CalendarnounUS /ˈkæləndər/

a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year

From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

carenounUS /ker/

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

casenounUS /keɪs/

an occurrence of something

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

challengedverbUS /ˈtʃæləndʒd/

past form of “challenge” — take exception to

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

convenientlyadverbUS /kənˈviːnjəntli/

in a convenient manner

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

divideverbUS /dɪˈvaɪd/

separate into parts or portions

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

GriefnounUS /ɡriːf/

intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

lowerverbUS /ˈloʊər/

move something or somebody to a lower position

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

producible

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

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

proprietorshipnounUS /prəˈpraɪətərʃɪp/

an unincorporated business owned by a single person who is responsible for its liabilities and entitled to its profits

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

Pudd'nhead

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

From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.

secureverbUS /sɪˈkjʊr/

get by special effort

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/

from appearances alone

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

ticketnounUS /ˈtɪkət/

a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment)

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

trainverbUS /treɪn/

create by training and teaching

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

travelverbUS /ˈtrævəl/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/

a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It is the custom of the country to avoid day travel when it can conveniently be done.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

Wilson'snounUS /ˈwɪlsənz/

possessive form of “wilson” — author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)

From this reading —Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

witnessnounUS /ˈwɪtnəs/

someone who sees an event and reports what happened

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading But there is one trouble: while you can seemingly “secure” the two lower berths by making early application, there is no ticket as witness of it, and no other producible evidence in case your proprietorship shall chance to be challenged.

Chapter 15 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain holds 635 sentences, grouped into 127 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 15 of Following the Equator contain?

Chapter 15 holds 635 sentences of Following the Equator, unabridged, divided into 127 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 635 sentences, grouped into 127 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 15 of Following the Equator?

Work through the 127 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 127 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Following the Equator

Common questions about reading Following the Equator by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Following the Equator?

Yes. All 9162 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2895 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Following the Equator is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2895, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Following the Equator take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1833 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Following the Equator section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Following the Equator 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 Following the Equator

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

Absorbing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Novelty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Kimberley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Diamond
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.