Chapter 1 of From Plotzk to Boston is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of From Plotzk to Boston is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
We were strangers; the driver knew it. He might take us anywhere--how could we tell? I was frightened again as in Berlin. The faces around me confessed the same. The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
Chapter 1 of From Plotzk to Boston is here in full — 407 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 74/81 · 5 reading units · Lines 366–370
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.
at or in or to any place
From this reading “He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?”
capital of Germany located in eastern Germany
From this reading “I was frightened again as in Berlin.”
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading “The faces around me confessed the same.”
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading “We were strangers; the driver knew it.”
made afraid
From this reading “I was frightened again as in Berlin.”
comparative of “quiet” — characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading “The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.”
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading “The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.”
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading “We were strangers; the driver knew it.”
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.
In this reading “The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.”
In this reading “The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.”
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.
anew
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
at or in or to any place
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The faces around me confessed the same.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
capital of Germany located in eastern Germany
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading The faces around me confessed the same.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
the operator of a motor vehicle
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The faces around me confessed the same.
made afraid
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
only a very short time before
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The faces around me confessed the same.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
not any; not one
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
and nothing more
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
comparative of “quiet” — characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The faces around me confessed the same.
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
not in physical motion
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The streets became quieter still; no shops, only little houses; hardly any people passing.
carry out
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
express in words
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He might take us anywhere--how could we tell?
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was frightened again as in Berlin.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were strangers; the driver knew it.
Chapter 1 of From Plotzk to Boston by Mary Antin holds 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 407 sentences of From Plotzk to Boston, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of From Plotzk to Boston by Mary Antin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 407 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 From Plotzk to Boston by Mary Antin on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 809 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20638 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20638, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 67 minutes of reading across 162 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through From Plotzk to Boston section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of From Plotzk to Boston 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 From Plotzk to Boston, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
