Chapter 1 of Greatheart is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Greatheart is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine. He rose at once to join her. "Why, how quick you have been! Or else the time flies here. Eustace is still skating.
Chapter 1 of Greatheart is here in full — 461 sentences across 93 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/92 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
adult female chicken
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
past form of “conduct” — direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading “Or else the time flies here.”
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
the sport of gliding on skates
From this reading “Eustace is still skating.”
the rays of the sun
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
an old word meaning “to where”
From this reading “THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
Having no one else present.
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
a long seat for more than one person
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
adult female chicken
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
past form of “conduct” — direct the course of; manage or control
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Or else the time flies here.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Eustace is still skating.
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading Or else the time flies here.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He rose at once to join her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Or else the time flies here.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Eustace is still skating.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading He rose at once to join her.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
on one occasion
From this reading He rose at once to join her.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or else the time flies here.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He rose at once to join her.
award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
the sport of gliding on skates
From this reading Eustace is still skating.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
not in physical motion
From this reading Eustace is still skating.
the rays of the sun
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Or else the time flies here.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He rose at once to join her.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
at the time that
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
an old word meaning “to where”
From this reading THE SEARCH When Isabel came slowly forth at length from the hotel door whither Biddy had conducted her, Scott was sitting alone on a bench in the sunshine.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Why, how quick you have been!
Chapter 1 of Greatheart by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell holds 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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 461 sentences of Greatheart, unabridged, divided into 93 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Greatheart by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 461 sentences, grouped into 93 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 93 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 93 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 Greatheart by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 12810 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13497 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #13497, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 2562 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Greatheart section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of Greatheart 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 Greatheart, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
