Chapter 1 of Listen, children ... listen! is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Listen, children ... listen! is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
listen, children ... listen! The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return. And one night she heard.... _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us. Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
Chapter 1 of Listen, children ... listen! is here in full — 319 sentences across 64 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/63 · 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.
small wolf native to western North America
From this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading “_The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.”
emit long loud cries
From this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
plural of “stimulus” — any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action
From this reading “_The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.”
something that resembles a tapestry in its intricacy
From this reading “_The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.”
informal terms for clothing
From this reading “_The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.”
characterized by variety
From this reading “_The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.”
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.
a man who is very old
In this reading “The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.”
In this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
originate (in)
In this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
In this reading “Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.”
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 _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And one night she heard....
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
expected hopefully
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
a strong flame that burns brightly
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading listen, children ... listen!
small wolf native to western North America
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading And one night she heard....
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
intense and profound fear
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
emit long loud cries
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
hear with intention
From this reading listen, children ... listen!
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 The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading And one night she heard....
plural of “noise” — sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And one night she heard....
by chance
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And one night she heard....
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
not in physical motion
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
plural of “stimulus” — any stimulating information or event; acts to arouse action
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
something that resembles a tapestry in its intricacy
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading Perhaps terror lies in the howl of a coyote, in the noises of an old house, in a blaze of fire.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
informal terms for clothing
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
characterized by variety
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried
From this reading The old man was long dead--but his widow still awaited his return.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _The elements of horror are as many and varied as the threads in a Gobelin tapestry--with special stimuli for each of us.
Chapter 1 of Listen, children ... listen! by Wallace West holds 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 319 sentences of Listen, children ... listen!, unabridged, divided into 64 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Listen, children ... listen! by Wallace West exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 319 sentences, grouped into 64 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 64 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 64 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 Listen, children ... listen! by Wallace West 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 Listen, children ... listen! section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of Listen, children ... listen! 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 Listen, children ... listen!, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
