Chapter 1 of Marriage à la mode is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Marriage à la mode is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"A stifling hot day!" General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly. "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive! The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade. You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
Chapter 1 of Marriage à la mode is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/56 · 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.
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading “You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."”
have the idea for
From this reading “"What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!”
being ten more than seventy
From this reading “The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.”
in an indignant manner
From this reading “General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.”
inflected form of “mop” — to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop
From this reading “General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.”
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading “"A stifling hot day!"”
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading “The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.”
plural of “trick” — a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading “You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."”
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 "A stifling hot day!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
the month following March and preceding May
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
confined by bonds
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
the weather in some location averaged over some long period of time
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
have the idea for
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "A stifling hot day!"
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
being ten more than seventy
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading "A stifling hot day!"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
in an indignant manner
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
held up in the air
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
inflected form of “mop” — to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop
From this reading General Hobson lifted his hat and mopped his forehead indignantly.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
in or at or to some place
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading "A stifling hot day!"
a tenth part; one part in ten equal parts
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tenth of April, and I'll be bound the thermometer's somewhere near eighty in the shade.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
plural of “trick” — a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What on earth this place can be like in June I can't conceive!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You never find the English climate playing you these tricks."
Chapter 1 of Marriage à la mode by Humphry, Mrs. Ward holds 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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 281 sentences of Marriage à la mode, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Marriage à la mode by Humphry, Mrs. Ward exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 57 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 Marriage à la mode by Humphry, Mrs. Ward on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4242 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20383 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #20383, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 353 minutes of reading across 849 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Marriage à la mode section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 12 chapters of Marriage à la mode 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 Marriage à la mode, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
