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Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881
Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 is here in full — 540 sentences across 108 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881
Context Illustration Reading 1/108 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.
BY SYDNEY DAYRE.
Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.
He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.
"You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 is here in full — 540 sentences across 108 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/108 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.
Line 2
BY SYDNEY DAYRE.
Line 3
Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.
/ˈmɪstər ˈprɪmroʊz ərˈaɪvd æt hoʊm wʌn ˈmɔːrnɪŋ dʒʌst æz hɪz ˈfæməli wɜːr ˈɡæðərɪŋ fɔːr ˈbrekfəst/
Line 4
He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.
/hiː hæd bɪn fɔːr tuː deɪz æt ə smɔːl taʊn əˈbaʊt ˈθɜːrdiː maɪlz ˈdɪstənt tuː wɪtʃ hiː hæd bɪn ˈsʌmənd tuː əˈsɪst ɪn ðə ˈtraɪəl ʌv ə per ʌv ˈnoʊtəd ˈkrɪmənəlz/
Line 5
"You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.
/juː lʊk ˈtaɪərd aʊt sed ˈmɪsɪz ˈprɪmroʊz/

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.

assist verb US /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

criminals noun US /ˈkrɪmənəlz/

plural of “criminal” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

gathering noun US /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading “Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.”

noted adjective US /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

primrose noun US /ˈprɪmroʊz/

any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads

From this reading “HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.”

protected adjective US /prəˈtektɪd/

kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss

From this reading “HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.”

summoned verb US /ˈsʌmənd/

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

sydney noun US /ˈsɪdni/

the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port

From this reading “BY SYDNEY DAYRE.”

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.

thirty miles noun + noun counted as “thirty mile”

In this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

two days noun + noun

In this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

arrived at verb + particle counted as “arrive at”

reach a destination, either real or abstract

In this reading “Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.”

about thirty preposition + noun

In this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

at home preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.”

small town adjective + noun

a community of people smaller than a town

In this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

assist in verb + particle

In this reading “He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.”

All words in this reading · 51

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 He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

assistverbUS /əˈsɪst/

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY SYDNEY DAYRE.

criminalsnounUS /ˈkrɪmənəlz/

plural of “criminal” — someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

DAYRE

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

From this reading BY SYDNEY DAYRE.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

distantadjectiveUS /ˈdɪstənt/

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

familynounUS /ˈfæməli/

a social unit living together

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

FATHERnounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

gatheringnounUS /ˈɡæðərɪŋ/

a group of persons together in one place

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

HOW

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

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

pairnounUS /per/

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

PRIMROSEnounUS /ˈprɪmroʊz/

any of numerous short-stemmed plants of the genus Primula having tufted basal leaves and showy flowers clustered in umbels or heads

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

PROTECTEDadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/

kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

summonedverbUS /ˈsʌmənd/

past form of “summon” — call in an official matter, such as to attend court

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

SYDNEYnounUS /ˈsɪdni/

the largest Australian city located in southeastern Australia on the Tasman Sea; state capital of New South Wales; Australia's chief port

From this reading BY SYDNEY DAYRE.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/

the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

TOMnounUS /tɑːm/

male cat

From this reading HOW TOM PRIMROSE PROTECTED HIS FATHER.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

trialnounUS /ˈtraɪəl/

the act of testing something

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Mr. Primrose arrived at home one morning just as his family were gathering for breakfast.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He had been for two days at a small town about thirty miles distant, to which he had been summoned to assist in the trial of a pair of noted criminals.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You look tired out," said Mrs. Primrose.

Chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 by Various holds 540 sentences, grouped into 108 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, November 29, 1881 contain?

Chapter 1 holds 540 sentences of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881, unabridged, divided into 108 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 by Various exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 540 sentences, grouped into 108 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, November 29, 1881?

Work through the 108 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 108 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, November 29, 1881

Common questions about reading Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 by Various on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881?

Yes. All 1052 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50163 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50163, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 take to read?

About 87 minutes of reading across 211 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881 section by section

How to work through Harper's Young People, November 29, 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, November 29, 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, November 29, 1881

Words and structures a reader meets early in Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Primrose
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Protected
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Father
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sydney
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Harper's Young People, November 29, 1881; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.