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Life on the Mississippi
Life on the Mississippi

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Life on the Mississippi
Context Illustration Reading 1/15 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.
--Peboan and Seegwun.
Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.
APPENDIX.
A B C D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Life on the Mississippi

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Life on the Mississippi is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/15 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.
Line 2
--Peboan and Seegwun.
Line 3
Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.
Line 4
APPENDIX.
/əˈpendɪks/
Line 5
A B C D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.
/ə biː siː diː ðə ˈbɑːdi ʌv ðə ˈneɪʃən bʌt ðə ˈbeɪsən ʌv ðə ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi ɪz ðə ˈbɑːdi ʌv ðə ˈneɪʃən/

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.

appendix noun US /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading “APPENDIX.”

Jug noun US /dʒʌɡ/

a large bottle with a narrow mouth

From this reading “Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.”

Panorama noun US /ˌpænərˈæmə/

the visual percept of a region

From this reading “Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.”

Pioneer noun US /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/

someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art

From this reading “Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.”

Siamese noun US /ˌsaɪəˈmiːz/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading “Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.”

Undying adjective US /ənˈdaɪɪŋ/

never dying

From this reading “Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.”

Vaccination noun US /væksəˈneɪʃən/

taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease

From this reading “Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.”

Wins noun US /wɪnz/

plural of “win” — a victory (as in a race or other competition)

From this reading “Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.”

All words in this reading · 50

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 Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading --Peboan and Seegwun.

APPENDIXnounUS /əˈpendɪks/

supplementary material that is collected and appended at the back of a book

From this reading APPENDIX.

BnounUS /biː/

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

basinnounUS /ˈbeɪsən/

a bowl-shaped vessel; usually used for holding food or liquids

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

BlanketnounUS /ˈblæŋkət/

bedding that keeps a person warm in bed

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

BODYnounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

BonesnounUS /boʊnz/

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

BridenounUS /braɪd/

a woman who has recently been married

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

BUTconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

ChimneynounUS /ˈtʃɪmni/

a vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

CivilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/

a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

EmpirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

HeadnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

HomenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

JugnounUS /dʒʌɡ/

a large bottle with a narrow mouth

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

JumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/

move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

LongadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

MississippinounUS /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/

a major North American river and the chief river of the United States; rises in northern Minnesota and flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

NATIONnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading A          B          C          D THE 'BODY OF THE NATION' BUT the basin of the Mississippi is the _Body of The Nation_.

NoveltynounUS /ˈnɑːvəlti/

originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

PanoramanounUS /ˌpænərˈæmə/

the visual percept of a region

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

Peboan

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

From this reading --Peboan and Seegwun.

PioneernounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪr/

someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

PovertynounUS /ˈpɑːvərti/

the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

RideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

RocknounUS /rɑːk/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

Seegwun

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

From this reading --Peboan and Seegwun.

SiamesenounUS /ˌsaɪəˈmiːz/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

Sugar-bushnoun

evergreen shrub of southeastern United States with spikes of reddish yellow flowers and glandular hairy fruits

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

TwinsnounUS /twɪnz/

(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

UndyingadjectiveUS /ənˈdaɪɪŋ/

never dying

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

VaccinationnounUS /væksəˈneɪʃən/

taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

WinsnounUS /wɪnz/

plural of “win” — a victory (as in a race or other competition)

From this reading Vaccination.--A Long Ride.--Bones of Poverty.--The Pioneer of Civilization.--Jug of Empire.--Siamese Twins.--The Sugar-bush.--He Wins his Bride.--The Mystery about the Blanket.--A City that is always a Novelty.--Home again.

WordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading Word.--Chimney Rock.--The Panorama Man.--A Good Jump.--The Undying Head.

Chapter 1 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 Life on the Mississippi contain?

Chapter 1 holds 79 sentences of Life on the Mississippi, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 Life on the Mississippi?

Work through the 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 16 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 Life on the Mississippi

Common questions about reading Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Life on the Mississippi?

Yes. All 6352 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #245 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Life on the Mississippi is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #245, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Life on the Mississippi take to read?

About 529 minutes of reading across 1271 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Life on the Mississippi section by section

How to work through Life on the Mississippi section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Life on the Mississippi 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 Life on the Mississippi

Words and structures a reader meets early in Life on the Mississippi, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chimney
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Panorama
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Undying
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Peboan
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Life on the Mississippi; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.