Chapter 1 of Highway Pirates is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Highway Pirates is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A DAY OF TROUBLE. "They've seen us! Run for it!" My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker. He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
Chapter 1 of Highway Pirates is here in full — 156 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/31 · 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.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading “My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.”
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading “My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.”
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
communicated in words
From this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
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.
In this reading “He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.”
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 A DAY OF TROUBLE.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
plural of “bush” — a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A DAY OF TROUBLE.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Run for it!"
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Run for it!"
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A DAY OF TROUBLE.
any of various burrowing animals of the family Leporidae having long ears and short tails; some domesticated and raised for pets or food
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Run for it!"
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "They've seen us!
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They've seen us!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
a source of difficulty
From this reading A DAY OF TROUBLE.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "They've seen us!
communicated in words
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker.
the words that are spoken
From this reading He sprang to his feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes, I myself following hard at his heels.
Chapter 1 of Highway Pirates by Harold Avery holds 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 156 sentences of Highway Pirates, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Highway Pirates by Harold Avery exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 156 sentences, grouped into 32 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 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 32 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 Highway Pirates by Harold Avery on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2952 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33680 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33680, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 246 minutes of reading across 591 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Highway Pirates section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 19 chapters of Highway Pirates 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 Highway Pirates, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
