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Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881
Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 is here in full — 516 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881
Context Illustration Reading 1/103 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."
An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.
Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?
A Child from Heaven has given us them.
Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 is here in full — 516 sentences across 104 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/103 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."
/ɡʊd ˈtaɪdɪŋz ʌv ɡreɪt dʒɔɪ/
Line 2
An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.
Line 3
Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?
Line 4
A Child from Heaven has given us them.
/ə tʃaɪld frʌm ˈhevən hæz ˈɡɪvən ʌs ðem/
Line 5
Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

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.

abide verb US /əˈbaɪd/

dwell

From this reading “Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.”

Bethlehem noun US /ˈbeθlɪhem/

a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production

From this reading “Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.”

crow verb US /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading “Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.”

joys noun US /dʒɔɪz/

plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading “Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?”

refrain verb US /rɪˈfreɪn/

resist doing something

From this reading “An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.”

sends verb US /sendz/

third-person singular of “send” — cause to go somewhere

From this reading “An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.”

tidings noun US /ˈtaɪdɪŋz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading “"GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."”

wider adjective US /ˈwaɪdər/

comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading “An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.”

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.

GOOD TIDINGS adjective + noun

In this reading “"GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."”

GREAT JOY adjective + noun

In this reading “"GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."”

from Heaven preposition + noun

In this reading “A Child from Heaven has given us them.”

All words in this reading · 56

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 An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

abideverbUS /əˈbaɪd/

dwell

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

AboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

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 Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

AndeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

angelnounUS /ˈeɪndʒəl/

spiritual being attendant upon God

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

AnnouncedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

BethlehemnounUS /ˈbeθlɪhem/

a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

birthnounUS /bɜːrθ/

the time when something begins (especially life)

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

bornadjectiveUS /bɔːrn/

brought into existence

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

ChildnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

ChristnounUS /kraɪst/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

ChristmasnounUS /ˈkrɪsməs/

period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

Christmas-tide

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

From this reading Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?

CROWverbUS /kroʊ/

dwell on with satisfaction

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

EachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

GOODadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading "GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."

GREATadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading "GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

JO

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

JOYnounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading "GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."

joysnounUS /dʒɔɪz/

plural of “joy” — the emotion of great happiness

From this reading Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?

Judah's

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

MYSTERYnounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

o'eradverb

throughout a period of time

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

ORconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

PETnounUS /pet/

a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusement

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

Re-echoing

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

refrainverbUS /rɪˈfreɪn/

resist doing something

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

Saviour's

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

sendsverbUS /sendz/

third-person singular of “send” — cause to go somewhere

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Above all thoughts let this abide: _The Christ is born in Bethlehem._ A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY; OR, JO AND HIS PET CROW.

TIDINGSnounUS /ˈtaɪdɪŋz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading "GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading A Child from Heaven has given us them.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

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

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

WhenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading Whence come the joys of Christmas-tide?

wideradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪdər/

comparative of “wide” — having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading An angel voice on Judah's plain Announced to men a Saviour's birth: Each Christmas sends the sweet refrain Re-echoing wider o'er the earth.

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 by Various holds 516 sentences, grouped into 104 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 Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 516 sentences of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881, unabridged, divided into 104 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 516 sentences, grouped into 104 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 Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881?

Work through the 104 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 104 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 Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881

Common questions about reading Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881?

Yes. All 1001 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50809 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50809, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 take to read?

About 83 minutes of reading across 201 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 section by section

How to work through Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 2 chapters of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881 to begin.

  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 Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881

Words and structures a reader meets early in Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Tidings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Great
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Angel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Voice
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, December 27, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.