Chapter 1 of Half Portions is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Half Portions is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
She had no plan in her mind. Just hope. She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly. But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered. Flora was beside herself.
Chapter 1 of Half Portions is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 74/83 · 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.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading “But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.”
all the plant life in a particular region or period
From this reading “Flora was beside herself.”
information about recent and important events
From this reading “But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.”
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading “She had no plan in her mind.”
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading “But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.”
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading “She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.”
in a strange manner
From this reading “She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.”
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading “But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.”
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.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Flora was beside herself.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
all the plant life in a particular region or period
From this reading Flora was beside herself.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Flora was beside herself.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Just hope.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
and nothing more
From this reading Just hope.
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 But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
information about recent and important events
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
not any; not one
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had no plan in her mind.
lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
in a strange manner
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She looked strangely shrunken and old, suddenly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
at the time that
From this reading But when, three days later, the news came that America was to go into the war she knew that her prayers were answered.
Chapter 1 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 416 sentences of Half Portions, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Half Portions by Edna Ferber exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 Half Portions by Edna Ferber on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5692 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #14714 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #14714, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 474 minutes of reading across 1139 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Half Portions section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of Half Portions 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 Half Portions, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
