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Following the Equator — Part 1
Following the Equator — Part 1

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Following the Equator — Part 1 is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Following the Equator — Part 1
Context Illustration Reading 41/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.
He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----
By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.
The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.
He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Following the Equator — Part 1

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Following the Equator — Part 1 is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 41/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 201–205

Line 1
They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.
/ðeɪ wʊd ɔːl ɡoʊ tuː ˈnænsi ˈteɪlərz haʊs ənd siː tuː braʊnz niːdz fɜːrst/
Line 2
He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----
/hiː kʊd laɪ ɑːn ðə ˈsoʊfə ɪn ðə ˈpɑːrlər ənd waɪl ˈmɪsɪz ˈteɪlər ənd ˈmeri tʊk ker ʌv hɪm ðə ˈʌðər tuː ˈleɪdiz wʊd teɪk ðə ˈbʌɡi ənd ɡoʊ ənd ɡet wʌn ʌv ðə oʊld ˈpiːpəl ənd liːv wʌn ʌv ðemˈselvz wɪð ðə ˈʌðər wʌn ənd/
Line 3
By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.
/baɪ ðɪs taɪm wɪˈθaʊt ˈeni səˌlɪsɪˈteɪʃən ðeɪ wɜːr æt ðə ˈhɔːrsəz hed ənd wɜːr bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ tuː tɜːrn hɪm ərˈaʊnd/
Line 4
The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.
/ðə ˈdeɪndʒər wɑːz ˈɪmənənt bʌt braʊn faʊnd hɪz vɔɪs əˈɡen ənd seɪvd hɪmˈself/
Line 5
He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.
/hiː sed bʌt ˈleɪdiz juː ɑːr ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ ˈsʌmθɪŋ wɪtʃ meɪks ðə plæn ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/

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.

Brown's noun US /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading “They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.”

buggy noun US /ˈbʌɡi/

a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse

From this reading “He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----”

imminent adjective US /ˈɪmənənt/

close in time; about to occur

From this reading “The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.”

impracticable adjective US /ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/

not capable of being carried out or put into practice

From this reading “He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.”

overlooking adjective US /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/

used of a height or viewpoint

From this reading “He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.”

solicitation noun US /səˌlɪsɪˈteɪʃən/

an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status

From this reading “By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.”

Taylor noun US /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading “They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.”

Taylor's noun US /ˈteɪlərz/

possessive form of “taylor” — United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading “They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

BrownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

Brown'snounUS /braʊnz/

possessive form of “brown” — an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

buggynounUS /ˈbʌɡi/

a small lightweight carriage; drawn by a single horse

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

carenounUS /ker/

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

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/

the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

horse'snounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/

possessive form of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

imminentadjectiveUS /ˈɪmənənt/

close in time; about to occur

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

impracticableadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəbəl/

not capable of being carried out or put into practice

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

lieverbUS /laɪ/

be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

MarynounUS /ˈmeri/

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

NancynounUS /ˈnænsi/

a city in northeastern France in Lorraine

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

needsadverbUS /niːdz/

in such a manner as could not be otherwise

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

overlookingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/

used of a height or viewpoint

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

PeoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

planverbUS /plæn/

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

savedadjectiveUS /seɪvd/

rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

sofanounUS /ˈsoʊfə/

an upholstered seat for more than one person

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

solicitationnounUS /səˌlɪsɪˈteɪʃən/

an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

TaylornounUS /ˈteɪlər/

United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

Taylor'snounUS /ˈteɪlərz/

possessive form of “taylor” — United States composer and music critic (1885-1966)

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The danger was imminent, but Brown found his voice again and saved himself.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He could lie on the sofa in the parlor, and while Mrs. Taylor and Mary took care of him the other two ladies would take the buggy and go and get one of the Old People, and leave one of themselves with the other one, and----

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading By this time, without any solicitation, they were at the horse's head and were beginning to turn him around.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading They would all go to Nancy Taylor's house and see to Brown's needs first.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading He said-- "But ladies, you are overlooking something which makes the plan impracticable.

Chapter 1 of Following the Equator — Part 1 by Mark Twain holds 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 Following the Equator — Part 1 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 240 sentences of Following the Equator — Part 1, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Following the Equator — Part 1 by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 Following the Equator — Part 1?

Work through the 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 48 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 Following the Equator — Part 1

Common questions about reading Following the Equator — Part 1 by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Following the Equator — Part 1?

Yes. All 1048 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5808 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Following the Equator — Part 1 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5808, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Following the Equator — Part 1 take to read?

About 87 minutes of reading across 210 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Following the Equator — Part 1 section by section

How to work through Following the Equator — Part 1 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 — Part 1

Words and structures a reader meets early in Following the Equator — Part 1, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Doubt
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator — Part 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Truth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator — Part 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Pudd'nhead
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator — Part 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wilson's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Following the Equator — Part 1; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.