Chapter 1 of Jonah and Co. is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Jonah and Co. is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JONAH AND CO. LIBRARY EDITIONS OF "JONAH AND CO." THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD. _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time. Nevertheless, it is true.
Chapter 1 of Jonah and Co. is here in full — 18 sentences across 4 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/3 · 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.
endowed with authority
From this reading “THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.”
third-person singular of “conform” — be similar, be in line with
From this reading “THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.”
the system of production and distribution and consumption
From this reading “THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.”
plural of “edition” — the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading “LIBRARY EDITIONS OF "JONAH AND CO."”
possessive form of “james” — a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading “_It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.”
(Old Testament) Jonah did not wish to become a prophet so God caused a great storm to throw him overboard from a ship; he was saved by being swallowed by a whale that vomited him out onto dry land
From this reading “JONAH AND CO.”
conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind
From this reading “THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.”
the craft of composing type and printing from it
From this reading “THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.”
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 “_It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.”
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 _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading JONAH AND CO.
endowed with authority
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
an odorless very poisonous gas that is a product of incomplete combustion of carbon
From this reading JONAH AND CO.
third-person singular of “conform” — be similar, be in line with
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
the system of production and distribution and consumption
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
plural of “edition” — the form in which a text (especially a printed book) is published
From this reading LIBRARY EDITIONS OF "JONAH AND CO."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
possessive form of “james” — a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
(Old Testament) Jonah did not wish to become a prophet so God caused a great storm to throw him overboard from a ship; he was saved by being swallowed by a whale that vomited him out onto dry land
From this reading JONAH AND CO.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
a room where books are kept
From this reading LIBRARY EDITIONS OF "JONAH AND CO."
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless, it is true.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LIBRARY EDITIONS OF "JONAH AND CO."
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading Nevertheless, it is true.
the craft of composing type and printing from it
From this reading THE TYPOGRAPHY OF THIS BOOK CONFORMS TO THE AUTHORIZED ECONOMY STANDARD.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading _It is hard, sitting here, to believe that, if I would call for a cab, I could be in St. James's Street in less than ten minutes of time.
Chapter 1 of Jonah and Co. by Dornford Yates holds 18 sentences, grouped into 4 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 18 sentences of Jonah and Co., unabridged, divided into 4 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Jonah and Co. by Dornford Yates exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 18 sentences, grouped into 4 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 4 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 4 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 Jonah and Co. by Dornford Yates on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 7618 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #27079 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #27079, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1524 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Jonah and Co. section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of Jonah and Co. 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 Jonah and Co., each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
