Chapter 1 of Hold Onto Your Body! is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Hold Onto Your Body! is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY! People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason. Unless it's time for a change of identity! "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!" He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
Chapter 1 of Hold Onto Your Body! is here in full — 179 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/35 · 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.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
inflected form of “commit” — perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
From this reading “Unless it's time for a change of identity!”
moving to a position on a surface
From this reading “HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY!”
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading “He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.”
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading “He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.”
the act of killing yourself
From this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
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.
kill oneself
In this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
In this reading “People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.”
In this reading “He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.”
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 Unless it's time for a change of identity!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY!
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
inflected form of “commit” — perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
not any; not one
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
moving to a position on a surface
From this reading HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY!
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
the act of killing yourself
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading People do strange things--an example, committing suicide for no apparent reason.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He stared at me uncomprehendingly for a full three seconds.
except if; if not
From this reading Unless it's time for a change of identity!
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading HOLD ONTO YOUR BODY!
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading "Fidwell," I said, "why don't you go lose yourself!"
Chapter 1 of Hold Onto Your Body! by Richard O. Lewis holds 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 179 sentences of Hold Onto Your Body!, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Hold Onto Your Body! by Richard O. Lewis exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 179 sentences, grouped into 36 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 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 36 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 Hold Onto Your Body! by Richard O. Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hold Onto Your Body! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Hold Onto Your Body! 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 Hold Onto Your Body!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
