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Following the Equator
Following the Equator

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Following the Equator is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Following the Equator
Context Illustration Reading 1/97 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.
The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.
Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.
This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.
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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.

Following the Equator

Chapter XVIII · Chapter 18

Chapter 18 of Following the Equator is here in full — 487 sentences across 98 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.
Line 2
The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.
/ðə ˈtrʌbəl wɪð juː ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ ˈpiːpəl ɪz ðæt juː θɪŋk juː ɑːr ðə best ˈpiːpəl daʊn hiːr weˈræz juː ɑːr ˈmɪrli ðə moʊst ˈnuːmərəs/
Line 3
Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar.
Line 4
We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.
Line 5
This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.
/ðɪs ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti stændz aʊt ɪn maɪ ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz ɪn ə ˈsteɪtli ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/

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.

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.”

Chicago noun US /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading “The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.”

contentedly adverb US /kənˈtentədli/

with equanimity

From this reading “We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.”

elephant noun US /ˈeləfənt/

five-toed pachyderm

From this reading “We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.”

isolation noun US /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/

a state of separation between persons or groups

From this reading “This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.”

Lahore noun US /lɑːˈhɔːr/

city in northeast Pakistan

From this reading “We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.”

satan noun US /ˈseɪtən/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading “SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.”

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 · 52

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 This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

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.

ChicagonounUS /ʃəˈkɑːɡoʊ/

largest city in Illinois; a bustling Great Lakes port that extends 26 miles along the southwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

contentedlyadverbUS /kənˈtentədli/

with equanimity

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

elephantnounUS /ˈeləfənt/

five-toed pachyderm

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

experiencesnounUS /ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz/

plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

hospitalitynounUS /ˌhɑːspəˈtæləti/

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

impatientlyadverbUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəntli/

with impatience; in an impatient manner

From this reading SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

IndianounUS /ˈɪndiə/

a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

isolationnounUS /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/

a state of separation between persons or groups

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

LahorenounUS /lɑːˈhɔːr/

city in northeast Pakistan

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

lentnounUS /lent/

a period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

Lieutenant-Governor

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

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

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.

NEW-COMER

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

From this reading SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.

numerousadjectiveUS /ˈnuːmərəs/

amounting to a large indefinite number

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

Pudd'nhead

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

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

SATANnounUS /ˈseɪtən/

(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

statelyadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtli/

impressive in appearance

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This hospitality stands out in my experiences in a stately isolation.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SATAN (impatiently) to NEW-COMER.

troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/

a source of difficulty

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

wanderedverbUS /ˈwɑːndərd/

past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading We wandered contentedly around here and there in India; to Lahore, among other places, where the Lieutenant-Governor lent me an elephant.

whereasconjunctionUS /weˈræz/

in contrast with the fact that

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

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 The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The trouble with you Chicago people is, that you think you are the best people down here; whereas you are merely the most numerous.

Chapter 18 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain holds 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 18 of Following the Equator contain?

Chapter 18 holds 487 sentences of Following the Equator, unabridged, divided into 98 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of Following the Equator by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 487 sentences, grouped into 98 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 18 of Following the Equator?

Work through the 98 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 98 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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.