Chapter 1 of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) is here in full — 627 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) is here in full — 627 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).] PICTURES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER. "Mr. Punch." From the Collection of "MR. PUNCH."]
Chapter 1 of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) is here in full — 627 sentences across 126 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/125 · 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.
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading “From the Collection of "MR.”
a specific size and style of type within a type family
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
large or big relative to something else
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
a useful or valuable quality
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
deliver a quick blow to
From this reading “"Mr. Punch."”
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading “There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]”
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.
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 There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading PICTURES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading PICTURES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
several things grouped together or considered as a whole
From this reading From the Collection of "MR.
having the limits or boundaries established
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
a specific size and style of type within a type family
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the Collection of "MR.
plural of “instance” — an occurrence of something
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
large or big relative to something else
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading PICTURES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Mr. Punch."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading PICTURES OF LIFE AND CHARACTER.
a useful or valuable quality
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
deliver a quick blow to
From this reading "Mr. Punch."
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From the Collection of "MR.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
in the company of; together with
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
the words that are spoken
From this reading There are a few instances of larger font size words, these are delimited with plus signs (+).]
Chapter 1 of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) by John Leech holds 627 sentences, grouped into 126 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 627 sentences of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 126 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) by John Leech exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 627 sentences, grouped into 126 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 126 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 126 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 John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) by John Leech on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 804 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46349 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46349, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 67 minutes of reading across 161 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 2 chapters of John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3) 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 John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character, Vol. 1 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
