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Main Street

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Main Street is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Sinclair Lewis • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Main Street

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

Storm sheds were erected at every door.

In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VII Reading 1/54

Main Street

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Main Street is here in full — 272 sentences across 55 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/54 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

Line 2

Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Line 3

Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

Line 4

Storm sheds were erected at every door.

Line 5

In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

All words in this reading · 68

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.

a

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

all

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

an

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

and

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

asthmatic

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

at

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

below

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

block

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

boy

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

carrying

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

Clark

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

daily

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Dawson

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

December

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

digging

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

door

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

drop

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

erected

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

every

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

extravagantly

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

Ezra

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

for

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

GOPHER

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

hired

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

householders

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

I

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

in

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

industry

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

is

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

it

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

jambs

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

ladders

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

late

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Middlewest

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

might

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Mr

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

North

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

not

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

November

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

or

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

perilously

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

PRAIRIE

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

Sam

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

save

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

screwing

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

season

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

From this reading Winter is not a season in the North Middlewest; it is an industry.

second-story

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

seen

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

sheds

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

snowed

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

staggering

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

Storm

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

Stowbody

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

the

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

them

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

thermometer

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

thirty

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Through

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

to

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

twenty

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

up

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

was

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

wealthy

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

were

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

From this reading Storm sheds were erected at every door.

who

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

windows

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

From this reading In every block the householders, Sam Clark, the wealthy Mr. Dawson, all save asthmatic Ezra Stowbody who extravagantly hired a boy, were seen perilously staggering up ladders, carrying storm windows and screwing them to second-story jambs.

winter

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

From this reading I GOPHER PRAIRIE was digging in for the winter.

zero

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

From this reading Through late November and all December it snowed daily; the thermometer was at zero and might drop to twenty below, or thirty.

Chapter 7 of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis holds 272 sentences, grouped into 55 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 7 of Main Street contain?

Chapter 7 holds 272 sentences of Main Street, unabridged, divided into 55 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 272 sentences, grouped into 55 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 7 of Main Street?

Work through the 55 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 55 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Main Street

Common questions about reading Main Street by Sinclair Lewis on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Main Street?

Yes. All 11763 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #543 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Main Street is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #543, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Main Street take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2353 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Main Street section by section

How to work through Main Street section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of Main Street to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Main Street

Words and structures a reader meets early in Main Street, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mississippi: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Where: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chippewas: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Camped: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Main Street; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.