Golden treasury of famous books

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Marjory MacMurchy, Lady, -1938 Willison • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Golden treasury of famous books

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/13

Golden treasury of famous books Marjory MacMurchy, Lady, -1938 Willison

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT. One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London. It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring. But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London. He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

Golden treasury of famous books

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books is here in full — 67 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/13 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

Line 2

One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

/wʌn deɪ ə ˈlɪtəl mɔːr ðæn ə ˈhʌndrəd jɪrz əˈɡoʊ ə bɔɪ wɑːz ˈwɔːkɪŋ əˈlɔːŋ ə ˈkraʊdəd striːt ɪn ˈlʌndən/

Line 3

It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

Line 4

But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

/bʌt ðɪs bɔɪ wɑːz nɑːt ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə belz ʌv ˈlʌndən/

Line 5

He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

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.

bells noun US /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading “It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.”

crowded adjective US /ˈkraʊdəd/

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading “One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.”

Leander noun US /liˈændər/

(Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her

From this reading “He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.”

limited adjective US /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading “T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.”

printing noun US /ˈprɪntɪŋ/

text handwritten in the style of printed matter

From this reading “T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.”

straits noun US /streɪts/

a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs

From this reading “He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.”

swam verb US /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading “He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.”

toronto noun US /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading “T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.”

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

hundred years noun + noun

In this reading “One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.”

crowded street adjective + noun

In this reading “One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.”

swam across verb + particle counted as “swim across”

In this reading “He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.”

All words in this reading · 66

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 One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

BellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

BESTnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

BownounUS /baʊ/

a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

calledverbUS /kɔːld/

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

COnounUS /koʊ/

an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

crowdedadjectiveUS /ˈkraʊdəd/

overfilled or compacted or concentrated

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

DicknounUS /dɪk/

someone who is a detective

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

HnounUS /eɪtʃ/

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

Hellespontnoun

the strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara that separates European Turkey from Asian Turkey

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

LeandernounUS /liˈændər/

(Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

LIMITEDadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/

small in range or scope

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

ONT

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

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

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

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

PRINTINGnounUS /ˈprɪntɪŋ/

text handwritten in the style of printed matter

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

ringverbUS /rɪŋ/

sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

storynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

straitsnounUS /streɪts/

a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

swamverbUS /swæm/

inflected form of “swim” — travel through water

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

TnounUS /tiː/

a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading But this boy was not thinking about the bells of London.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

TORONTOnounUS /tərˈɑːntoʊ/

the provincial capital and largest city in Ontario (and the largest city in Canada)

From this reading T. H. BEST PRINTING CO., LIMITED TORONTO, ONT.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

walkedverbUS /wɔːkt/

past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

walkingadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/

close enough to be walked to

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

Whittington

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

From this reading It is likely that Dick Whittington had walked on the very same street about the time when he heard Bow Bells ring.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He had been reading a story in a book, and he was thinking of the people in the story, especially of a man called Leander who swam across the straits named the Hellespont.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading One day, a little more than a hundred years ago, a boy was walking along a crowded street in London.

Chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books by Marjory MacMurchy, Lady, -1938 Willison holds 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 Golden treasury of famous books contain?

Chapter 1 holds 67 sentences of Golden treasury of famous books, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books by Marjory MacMurchy, Lady, -1938 Willison exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 67 sentences, grouped into 14 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 Golden treasury of famous books?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 Golden treasury of famous books

Common questions about reading Golden treasury of famous books by Marjory MacMurchy, Lady, -1938 Willison on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Golden treasury of famous books?

Yes. All 2970 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75935 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Golden treasury of famous books is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #75935, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Golden treasury of famous books take to read?

About 247 minutes of reading across 594 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Golden treasury of famous books section by section

How to work through Golden treasury of famous books section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 33 chapters of Golden treasury of famous books to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Golden treasury of famous books

Words and structures a reader meets early in Golden treasury of famous books, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Printing: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Golden treasury of famous books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Limited: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Golden treasury of famous books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Toronto: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Golden treasury of famous books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Little: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Golden treasury of famous books; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter I

What does chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books contain?

How do I study chapter 1 of Golden treasury of famous books?

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Golden treasury of famous books

How to read Golden treasury of famous books section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Golden treasury of famous books